WRESTLING TO KEEP CONTROL
Rodgers battles hard to hold on to Boyata but frustrations over transfers still remain
OFFERED £9million for Dedryck Boyata, Celtic will resist the temptation to start up a fast car and set the Sat Nav for Fulham before the English transfer window closes at 5pm tomorrow.
As evidence grows of Brendan Rodgers’ frustration over the Parkhead club’s summer transfer activity, the time is not right to sell the club’s most valuable defender.
With interest from France, Italy and Spain, Boyata could still leave for a continental club before the standard transfer window closes on August 31. Yet the chances of the Belgian World Cup defender leaving for London in the next 36 hours have eroded after Rodgers asserted authority over one transfer he can control.
Celtic’s manager may be powerless to prevent John McGinn moving to Aston Villa for £2.7m despite a fourth Celtic counter offer yesterday. He can prevent the club selling a key defender without an adequate, ready-made replacement in the middle of a Champions League qualifying campaign.
Right now, the central defender’s value to Celtic’s Champions League hopes outweigh the £12m the SPFL champions might yield from selling him to newly promoted Fulham.
‘That’s what you are having to weigh up,’ admitted Rodgers. ‘It’s unfortunate the teams down south are forced into the speed at which they have to do their activity now.
‘But we need to ensure that we are right here. It’s been clear that (Fulham’s bid) has been rejected.
‘That was a few days ago and that is it, really.
‘You couldn’t move on one of your best players like that and not have a replacement to come in.
‘There are players in the background, of course, but being so close to Thursday now, it would be very, very difficult to do that. It’s certainly not something I would be advocating.’
Already this summer, the Parkhead club have sold Stuart Armstrong to Southampton for £7m while losing Patrick Roberts. The record £9m capture of Odsonne Edouard marked a significant statement. Yet Rodgers has already publicly asserted his belief that Celtic’s squad is weaker than last season.
Now engaged in a public relations battle with a hugely popular and successful manager, Celtic powerbrokers are duty-bound to consider every move carefully. Selling Boyata — when the manager is unhappy over a lack of new signings — would send out an unfortunate message, while planting further seeds of discontent among a rumbling support.
‘I think it’s one of those precarious situations where he is in the last year of his deal,’ added Rodgers. ‘But you also have to weigh up where it’s at and the importance of the competition — and the importance of him to our team.
‘Like I say, unless you have a replacement of equal quality, or better, which would be very difficult, then of course you can’t lose your best players at this time.
‘It didn’t surprise me that there was interest in him, especially with his last 18 months and then his World Cup, but it shows you that he’s a good player who is rated highly and I will be really happy to keep him here.’
Fulham last night brought in Arsenal defender Calum Chambers on loan, although it remains to be seen if that will end their pursuit of Boyata.
However, he has also been linked with Lazio and Lyon and is likely to attract further continental interest before the end of the month.
‘There has been interest from other countries for him,’ said Rodgers.
‘But while he’s here, he’s a great guy. I’ve loved working with him and seeing him grow in confidence and develop his game.
‘It shows you, if the club wanted to cash in, there was a real asset there. But he’s a bigger asset for us keeping him here.
‘You could get £10m for Dedryck, as an example, but where do you then go and get another centre-half like that? ‘One who would help you go get through this Champions League qualifying campaign and for the rest of the season. ‘It has to make sense in every way and, at this moment in time, it doesn’t.’ It might make sense to Boyata, of course. By rejecting any offers, Celtic risk a deeply unhappy player.
‘He is in his last year, so in six months’ time he can do a pre-contract with someone if he wants to move,’ said Rodgers.
‘He’s not sitting on a four-year contract, he’s in his last year. He’s a guy where it’s big figures we are talking about.
‘He’s a sensible guy. He will have his focus back on his football. He has developed and had a really good World Cup under his belt. He’s came back to a great club, whether he signs or doesn’t sign. He can sign a pre-contract in January.’
Boyata won’t play against AEK Athens tonight, a Champions League qualifier all but forgotten in the furore over transfers and signs of trouble at mill.
‘It’s another step for us, definitely, in terms of opponent,’ added Rodgers. ‘They play 4-4-2 but very compact, very tight and, when they win the ball, they break forward very quickly. They have good pace at the front of the field and at the sides.
‘So it will be a really good examination for us over two legs.’
Celtic hope to capitalise on AEK’s lack of competitive action by maximising home advantage in the first leg.
Rodgers added: ‘I think if we can come out of this game here with a victory and a clean sheet it would be a really good result. We obviously want to take advantage of the first leg being at home.’
For tonight — at least — signs of a rift between manager and board over transfers will be put to one side.
‘We’ve got a board who want to look after the interests of the club and I respect that,’ concluded Rodgers.