Olivier Ntcham has become Celtic’s most expensive signing for a decade.
Olivier Ntcham has suggested that Brendan Rodgers helped convince him of a move to Celtic by insisting that the Scottish style of football would suit him better than the Italian style did, the Scotsman reports.
Ntcham has become the Hoops’ latest addition, with the Scotsman reporting that the 21-year-old has signed a four-year deal at Parkhead having cost an initial £4.5 million with the potential for the fee to rise by another £2 million due to add-ons – making him the most expensive signing the club has made for a decade.
Olivier Ntcham (L), during his time with Manchester City
The former Manchester City man never managed to break into the Citizens’ first-team, but did spend two years on loan with Italian side Genoa where he featured fairly regularly in Serie A.
And encouragingly for Bhoys supporters, Ntcham has suggested that Rodgers expects the youngster’s style of play to be more effective in Scotland than it perhaps was in Italy.
“He spoke to me and told me that the Italian league did not suit my style of football,” he said, as reported by the Scotsman. “He felt that it was not the right fit for me because it was more tactical and everything was different. The manager believes that I would be best suited to the Scottish game and the way Celtic play.”
Of course, Celtic fans may be concerned that the fee required to bring him to the club may have a negative impact on his ability to adapt due to the level of expectation.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
But Ntcham has moved to alleviate any of those concerns by insisting that the large fee does not phase him at all, and actually has a positive impact on him.
“The money does not put pressure on me,” he added. “For me, it makes me happy because the club is showing a lot of faith in me.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
