Odsonne Edouard is on loan at Celtic, but the Scottish Premiership champions have the option to make the move permanent.
After Celtic’s 3-0 win in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at the weekend, there were a number of fans who took to social media to suggest that signing Odsonne Edouard on a permanent basis should be on the Hoops’ to-do list this summer.
Edouard is on loan at Parkhead from Paris Saint-Germain, but the Daily Mail has previously reported that the Bhoys can make the deal permanent for a fee of £7 million. And after the first few months of his loan spell, it seemed highly unlikely that many fans would have wanted to see that price paid for the youngster.
The 20-year-old had scored six goals in his previous 21 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ men, so it was hardly the form of a player who should be convincing Celtic to break their transfer record.
However, his display against Morton left several fans asking for a permanent deal as he came off the bench at half-time and seemed to change the game, as Celtic’s three goals all came after the break, with Edouard rounding off the win with a goal he richly deserved.
Rodgers should not be considering a potential permanent deal off the back of a display against a Scottish Championship side – though it would hugely unfair to suggest that it is the only time that the youngster has impressed since joining the Hoops – but perhaps the club will be much closer to a decision on his future by the time this week ends.
With Scott Sinclair looking woefully out of form right now, there will be many fans who want to see Edouard start against Rangers at Ibrox – and if Rodgers agrees, then the forward has the perfect chance to prove whether he is good enough to justify a £7 million outlay.
The Gers are high on confidence right now so it looks set to be Celtic’s toughest Old Firm game since their bitter rivals were promoted, so if Edouard can perform on that stage, spending £7 million on him this summer will surely seem a much smaller gamble than it may have done before the Morton game.
After the Zenit defeat, Celtic’s critics will suggest that they have found their ceiling. It is now important that their players prove that they can step up on the bigger stages, and if Edouard can perform at Ibrox this weekend, Rodgers should be confident that the starlet is a player that Celtic should be looking to keep beyond this season as they look to establish a higher ceiling.
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