HERO’S RETURN
Celts set to seal new loan deal for City star Roberts
PATRICK ROBERTS is poised to return to Celtic on a oneyear loan after a breakthrough in talks with Manchester City.
While an agreement is yet to be finalised, it is expected the remaining details will be ironed out ahead of a deal being confirmed next week.
That will represent a sizeable boost for Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers, who had made a reunion with Roberts a summer priority.
Asked yesterday about any movement
on the lengthy pursuit of the 20-year-old, Rodgers said: ‘There is, but it’s always private. We’ll see. You don’t have long to go in the window.’ A fresh loan for Roberts is now in the pipeline, however, after City agreed that he could go back to Glasgow. Celtic will also pay a significant loan fee. The English powerhouse had been reluctant to sanction another season in Scottish football, preferring to send the £12million winger to a rival English club or one in Europe. Roberts, though, made it clear he had his heart set on going back to Celtic after helping them complete an unbeaten Treble last season. Southampton, Huddersfield and Nice were all rebuffed as the player dug in his heels. There was further good news for the Parkhead club yesterday with confirmation that Stuart Armstrong had signed a new two-year contract. Some questions have been raised about the length of the deal, which only extends his stay by 12 months, but Rodgers insisted he was happy with the outcome of long-running talks. ‘It is a win-win,’ he said. ‘In every negotiation, whether it is one year, five years or whatever, every party has to be happy. ‘This is one where he has extended his time here. It is two years and everyone is happy. I signed a one-year (contract) when I came in. The club was happy and I was happy.’ Asked about any ambitions the Scotland midfielder might have to one day play in England, Rodgers added: ‘Every player wants to play at the highest level. ‘I can understand why people would want to go to the world’s most competitive league. ‘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. ‘I’m glad for him, glad for the club that it’s resolved. He’s now coming into a couple of years where he continues his development and hopefully helps us win more trophies.’ Armstrong’s first task will be to try to win back a regular place in the team, with £4.5m midfield addition Olivier Ntcham impressing in Wednesday night’s 5-0 rout of Astana. ‘At 21, he is fantastic,’ Rodgers enthused about the Frenchman. ‘He needs to play in a certain way and he is a real player. You see his physicality. He will develop here into a top-class player.’ Meanwhile, fringe striker Nadir Ciftci is set to join Plymouth Argyle on a season-long loan.