Sunderland are reportedly interested in signing Christie from Celtic.
Ryan Christie’s excellent form throughout 2017-18 on loan at Aberdeen saw his stature rise exponentially, ending the season on a high by making his Scotland debut. At £500,000, Sunderland would land the Celtic ace for a bargain fee.
Somewhat of a loophole, Football League clubs have been able to make permanent signings beyond the August 9 deadline by forming a move as a loan-to-buy agreement which sees a player loaned before a deal is permanent in January.
A move for Christie would be no different, with Celtic only asking for a fee of £500,000 from Sunderland – a similar fee in which they paid Inverness back in 2015.
At just half a million pounds, Sunderland would be landing an excellent player on the cheap – one that had a hand in 23 goals during the 2017-18 season from midfield in the Scottish Premiership.
Indeed, Christie scored eight goals for Aberdeen as well as creating another 15 strikes for Derek McInnes’ side as Christie played a huge part in fending off Rangers into second place.
Yes, Christie’s contract ends in the summer of 2019 and the chances of him signing a new deal at Celtic Park are slim, meaning if Celtic are to gain some money for his signature, they must sell him before August 31.
But at just £500,000, Sunderland would be landing a huge bargain that could give them the technicality and eye for goal from midfield that is required to earn an instant return to the second tier.
For the six-figure sum, Sunderland would be the winners, not Celtic.
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