Southampton have been linked with a £10m move for Celtic’s Stuart Armstrong and his exit would be soothed by the signing of Lewis Baker from Chelsea.
You could make a case for Stuart Armstrong being the best player in Scotland last season. Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair hogged the headlines more often than most, but the influential midfielder was just as essential to Celtic’s unbeaten domestic treble, netting a stunning 17 goals along the way.
But after being heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, and very belatedly committing his future to Celtic, Armstrong simply has not been the same dynamic force in the centre of the park.
The 25-year-old has looked lethargic, out of sorts and his goals tally stands at a paltry three. So with the Sunday Post stating that Southampton are keen to renew their interest and planning to offer £10 million, Celtic could hardly be blamed for considering cashing in on one of their most sell-able assets.
And if Armstrong does indeed go this month, the Hoops might have already identified a perfect replacement. Because the Daily Mail states that Charly Musonda is not the only Chelsea youngster on Celtic’s radar this month.
It is understood that they are also a fan of Lewis Baker, the England under-21 international midfielder who could be recalled from an underwhelming loan spell at Middlesbrough.
Like Armstrong, the 22-year-old is a forceful and power-packed attacking midfielder with an eye for the spectacular. During a loan spell at Vitesse in the Eredivisie last season, Baker netted 15 goals in all competitions.
He also has eight in 15 for the England under-21s. So he could fill the void left by Armstrong in Celtic’s midfield if the Scottish champions find that a £10 million bid is simply too good to turn down.
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