Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard appears to be closing in on a move to Leicester City, according to talkSPORT’s Jason Bourne.
The Lowdown: Edouard’s Hoops stance
It appears as if Celtic fans have now seen the last of the French forward in a Hoops shirt.
Sources close to the club admitted last month that the 23-year-old wants to leave Celtic Park over the coming months, regardless of who comes in to replace Neil Lennon as manager.
He’ll have just 12 months left on his deal in the summer, with Edouard’s camp believing last month he could secure a Parkhead exit for just £8-10m in the upcoming transfer window.
However, it looks as if the Hoops will be receiving more than that figure for his services.
The Latest: Bourne shares Edouard latest
Bourne shared the latest on the Foxes’ summer plans on Tuesday evening, with updates on both Edouard and Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare.
“I understand Boubakary Soumare to Leicester City is getting closer to completion. Appears formalities just need to be sorted now. Leicester also want to wrap up Odsonne Edouard deal. Personal terms not a problem. Looking to arrange a fee now. Could be £15-20m.”
The Verdict: Fee good news for McKay
In our opinion, should a deal go through at £20m, it would be good business from the Hoops and new CEO Dominic McKay.
Celtic know that they’ll have to hand over around half of that fee to Paris Saint-Germain due to a sell-on clause, but that would still leave the Hoops with £10m – not bad for a player who could’ve discussed a potential free transfer in January 2022.
McKay should be delighted if a transfer is completed closer to the £20m mark, especially with the player’s camp believing an exit at half of that price was doable, and he would then have the funds to bring in a proven replacement for the Frenchman.
Edouard was the league’s top scorer this season and has netted an impressive 83 times in 168 appearances. Replacing those goals could be vital in the club’s bid to win back the Scottish Premiership, so McKay needs every penny he can get out of the deal.
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