Celtic would have to pay a substantial fee for Aden Flint – but would he really be worth it?
Bristol City are fully aware just how integral Aden Flint is to their survival hopes. The towering, talismanic centre-back not only scored a staggering 15 goals to inspire them to promotion in 2015, he has also kept The Robins in the division with a series of impenetrable performances in the last two seasons.
Therefore, it’s understandable that City would be reluctant to sell – at least not for anything other than a huge transfer fee.
The Bristol Post reports that they rejected a bid of £3.5 million from Birmingham City recently, suggesting that any club wanting to make an eleventh hour move will have to dig deep.
That includes Celtic, who the report claims have suddenly joined the chase with the Scottish champions desperate to add a new defender to their ranks after a deal to sign South African international Rivaldo Coetzee fell through due to a failed medical.
Manager Brendan Rodgers is understood to be a big fan of 6ft 7ins Flint, who would surely be tempted by the prospect of hoarding domestic silverware and swapping the Championship for the Champions League.
Though it’s difficult to shake the notion that Flint would represent a huge risk for Celtic. The fact that they have only joined the race with a few hours until the transfer window shuts suggests the 27-year-old is far from the club’s first choice.
He’s been linked with countless clubs in the last three months and, until now, Celtic have been nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, Flint is completely untested above Championship level, having spent much of his career in the lower leagues.
This, therefore, suggests that he would merely be a back up to the likes of Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic rather than a player picked to start crucial Champions League encounters.
Therefore, one could argue that Celtic paying such a large fee for a third, possibly fourth choice centre-back isn’t the smartest of ideas.
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