David Turnbull has indicated he plans to stay at Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic despite reports linking the midfielder with a £7 million move to Aston Villa, speaking to the club’s official website.
Selling star players to a Premier League club has become akin to an annual tradition for the Hoops.
And fears were stoked three weeks ago when the Scottish Sun suggested Turnbull was in line to follow the likes of Kieran Tierney, Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk and co south of the border.
Aston Villa were preparing to make a £7 million bid for a gifted attacking-midfielder who, in truth, could be considered one of the few bright sparks in a dismal 2020/21 season for the Glasgow giants.
Turnbull, the newly crowned PFA Young Player Of The Year, contributed ten goals and eight assists during his debut season in green and white.
If only Neil Lennon had introduced the former Motherwell starlet to Celtic’s starting XI sooner…
From Celtic to Aston Villa for David Turnbull?
Lennon may be gone these days but the arrival of Ange Postecoglou at Parkhead could potentially take Turnbull to a whole new level.
The 21-year-old Scot is tailor-made for Postecoglou’s forward-thinking, possession-heavy style and could take on a more important role if fellow playmaker Ryan Christie leaves.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s obviously a lift for everyone involved in the club, getting a new manager in, and it’s a fresh start for everybody,” says Turnbull, suggesting his future lies at Celtic for the time being.
“Last season went well for me and it’s important to keep that going.
“It has been great to get the call-up to the Scotland squad and going to the Euros and I’m fully focused on that at the moment. But, once we’re all back with Celtic, we’ll be looking forward to working with the new manager and preparing for the season ahead.
“No matter the circumstances, once you’ve had a break you’re always looking forward to coming back in to work as hard as you can to impress. We’ll have a new manager so we’re all looking forward to meeting him and working with him.”
For what it’s worth, Aston Villa now appear to be turning their attention elsewhere.
Emi Buendia has already arrived from Norwich City in a club-record deal, while Villa are also pursuing Watford’s Will Hughes.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
