Derek McInnes comments on missing out on Celtic’s Ryan Christie

Follow us on Google Discover

Celtic ace Ryan Christie was on loan at Aberdeen for 18 months.

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has revealed to The Daily Record that the club were close to signing Ryan Christie from Celtic in the summer transfer window.

Christie spent the second half of the 2016-17 season on loan at Aberdeen from Celtic and returned to the Pittodrie Stadium on another loan deal for the 2017-18 campaign.

McInnes has revealed that he thought that Aberdeen would be able to sign the 23-year-old midfielder on a permanent contract from Celtic in the summer of 2018.

The former Rangers midfielder made the revelation following Aberdeen’s 1-0 defeat to Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic in the final of the Scottish League Cup at Hampden Park in Glasgow on Sunday afternoon.

Christie was the star of the show, as the Scotland international scored the only goal of the match and had a great game overall.

According to Transfermarkt.com, Christie has scored three goals in nine Scottish Premiership appearances so far this season, and scored two goals and provided two assists in two Scottish League Cup games.

McInnes told The Daily Record about Christie: “We were close to getting him. We kept his number clear. No.22 is Ryan’s favourite and it’s still vacant at our club. We have to try to fill it in January but it won’t be him.

“We have missed his creativity at times – that little bit of nous. We thought we’d get him and were well down to the line to getting him but Celtic made their decision to keep him and Ryan has taken his chance.”