Chris Sutton has stated in The Daily Record that Kristoffer Ajer should stay at Celtic beyond the summer.
The former Celtic striker believes that Ajer can improve and get better working under manager Neil Lennon.
The 22-year-old central defender is an important player for the Hoops, and has been linked with a a number of clubs across Europe.
Sporten reported in March of Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in the Norway international, while 90min claimed in May that Leicester City, Manchester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund want the youngster, who can also operate as a defensive midfielder.
Former Celtic striker Sutton has urged Ajer to stay at the Glasgow giants next season and continue to improve his game.
Sutton wrote about Ajer in The Daily Record: “Kristoffer Ajer has the right credentials to reach the top. But at this point in his career he’s still got a fair bit of learning to do.
“And any thoughts of glamorous moves out of Celtic should not enter the 22-year-old’s head because he’s in the right hands to be developed into a top-class centre-back.
“Neil Lennon has form when it comes to this. Take one look at where Virgil van Dijk is in his career if you can’t see it. It is important to move when you are ready to take the next step.
“Ajer isn’t ready yet. For his development it’s better to stay put and play. He’s good but nowhere near the finished article.”
Celtic stay
Ajer has been on the books of Celtic since 2016 and is now a regular in the first team.
The 22-year-old has progressed well in recent years, and it would make sense for him to stay at least one more season at Celtic.
The Hoops are aiming to make it 10 league titles in a row next season, and the youngster could go down in Celtic history if he plays a role in that quest for the Glasgow giants.
Meanwhile, former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has praised current Hoops boss Neil Lennon for reinventing himself after his struggles at Bolton Wanderers.
Strachan told BBC Sport: “The fact he’s left Celtic and went, ‘Oops, what have I done?’ He’s had to deal with that, go to Bolton. And I know when you go to teams like Bolton after being at Celtic, you just don’t get the mentality.
“Then he went to Hibs and has come away with formations that suited the players he had. It was fantastic what he did there. He’s reinvented himself as a manager. And that period at Hibs allowed him to express himself more freely.”
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