SAINT PATRICK’S DAY
Bren’s joy as Bhoys tie up Roberts and Armstrong
CELTIC are set to get the green light to bring back Patrick Roberts for the Champions League charge.
The Hoops yesterday secured playmaker Stuart Armstrong on a new two-year deal – and Roberts is expected to complete a season-long loan move from Man City by the middle of next week.
Record Sport understands Etihad boss Pep Guardiola has
agreed to let the attacker return to Scotland after Celts all but secured their place in the Champions League group stages with their play-off first leg demolition of Astana.
City were looking to farm the youngster out to French big guns Nice or Premier League rivals Southampton following his successful 18-month spell in the Premiership.
But the prospect of Celtic blasting back to the group stages has opened the door to another deal and the move is set to be shoved over the line in the coming days. Brendan Rodgers’s men face Kilmarnock today and will jet out to Astana on their luxury plane tomorrow.
Roberts will remain in the UK but will be on board for the rest of the campaign.
It’s another huge boost for the Hoops after Armstrong finally put pen to paper on a two-year deal.
Celtic had been looking for a longer deal while the playmaker was weighing up interest from south of the border, with Southampton, Brighton and West Brom all chasing his signature. Rodgers insisted the new contract suited all parties – and told Armstrong to star for Celtic to eventually achieve his EPL dream.
The Hoops boss said: “It is win, win. It is two years and everyone is happy.
“Every player wants to play and perform at the highest possible level. I totally understand that and I have been at that level.
“I can understand why people would want to go to the most competitive league in the world.
“It is always about timing and I felt with Stuart this wasn’t the time.
“When that is going to be is undecided, if it ever does happen. While he is here he’s at a huge club and he has everything that goes with being a Celtic player. It is hard to deny someone when they can go and earn three or four times the money.
“I can understand it but we also have to do what is best for Celtic.
“There will have been compromises on both sides, so it will be win, win for both.”
Armstrong admitted he was thrilled to end the uncertainty and he is focused on getting back to business on the pitch.
He said: “I am delighted. I have had a tremendous time at the club so far and it has been a period in my footballing career I have enjoyed immensely.
“It has been an honour to play for a club of such stature. I have enjoyed a great relationship with our supporters and we have achieved a high level of success. It has been great to be part of it.
“I’m pleased that this new contract has been agreed and I am now very much looking forward to working with the manager, our staff and my team-mates to bring the club and our fans even more success.”
Rodgers is set to make changes to his side at Rugby Park this afternoon but he won’t be sending a shadow side out to Kazakhstan despite the 5-0 first leg lead.
He said: “The full squad will travel – we will go out there to get a result. We want to win the game out there, be aggressive.
“For me the tie is 0-0 and we want to get a result. We won’t be holding back.”