Celtic ditch Queens Park option and open talks for Championship Co-operation deal

Celtic are reported to be in talks with Ayr United over setting up a formal Co-operation Agreement.

During the summer the SFA came up with the scheme to boost the playing time of young players which has taken a hammering in recent years.

Last season Sean McArdle, Jude Bonnar and Francis Turley made four brief substitute appearances for Celtic in the SPFL Premiership alongside their duties in the Lowland League.

The gap between the Lowland League and the Celtic first team is huge but a season out on loan at a Championship club, alongside some familiar faces. Should help bridge that gap.

Co-operation Agreements can be arranged with one club in each division with St Mirren announcing deals with Dumbarton and Clydebank.

According to Glasgow Times:

Celtic are in talks with Ayr United over a new player development partnership.

The move comes after a proposed agreement with Queen’s Park fell through due to financial concerns at the Glasgow club.

Celtic have instead approached Ayr United, managed by former club captain Scott Brown, as part of a wider plan to improve first-team opportunities for young players under new Scottish FA rules.

The SFA now allows clubs to enter cooperation agreements that let up to three players move freely between a parent club and a partner club to gain first-team experience.

Bonnar has been linked with a move to Ayr, the agreement allows three players to move on loan with the option to call them back and replace them at any time.

The agreement only involves players available to the Scotland international team which rules out Turley although he could go on a standard loan without the recall option.

One complication could be in Celtic reach the UEFA Youth League with the club likely to want their best players available for six midweek matches between September and Christmas.

Ayr United started their League Cup campaign last night with a 6-1 win away to Annan Athletic.