Brendan Rodgers is reported to be preparing a summer move for Callum McGregor.
The Leicester boss was reported to have made an offer for the midfielder in the summer 2019 transfer window but with the process of selling Kieran Tierney to Arsenal underway Celtic rejected the bid from their former manager.
The criteria that sold Tierney applies equally to his Scotland team-mate, if the price is right Celtic will do business regardless of how long they have a player under contract.
McGregor’s contract runs until May 2024 but under the last few years there has been a marked drop in the standard of players around him.
At one stage he could look up to find Stuart Armstrong, Scott Sinclair, Moussa Dembele and Tierney providing options, even Peter Lawwell would struggle to put together a case for the current squad being of similar quality.
The Sun reports:
LEICESTER CITY boss Brendan Rodgers is ready to try his luck with a bid for Celtic’s Callum McGregor. Former Hoops gaffer Rodgers is a huge fan of the midfielder who can play several roles.
The Foxes are only targeting a couple of major captures in the next window and both could be from Rodgers’ former club.
He is also expected to make an offer for French striker Odsonne Edouard, who could move for around £20million in the summer. McGregor is under contract and not being squeezed out, but that won’t stop Rodgers trying.
The report is by Alan Nixon who is a transfer specialist. He has recently highlighted Roy Keane’s interest in the Celtic job but was first to reveal Gavin Strachan moving to Celtic last summer.
McGregor has never given any hint of wanting to leave Celtic but faced with a major rebuild at the club or the chance of playing again under Rodgers and likely Champions League football he could be tempted south.
In 2016 when Rodgers took charge of Celtic he famously invited Scott Brown to his home in London to outline his plans for the club and how he viewed the skipper as essential to the transformation.
A similar move with McGregor would be advisable with Eddie Howe strongly tipped to become Celtic boss this week.
