Armstrong continues to be linked with a move away from Scottish Champions Celtic, but Christie’s Aberdeen form suggests they have got a replacement.
Ryan Christie could hardly be delivering a more convincing audition for his Celtic future.
The 22-year-old play-maker was loaned out to Aberdeen in the summer as part of the deal that saw Jonny Hayes move to the Scottish Premiership champions, and it is fair to say he has kicked on from last season, where he won the Dons’ Young Player of the Year award after just a few months at Pittodrie.
In all competitions, Christie has scored seven goals and set up a further 12. The most recent in his ever-lengthening collection of assists was arguably his most impressive to date; a sublime roulette followed by a pinpoint left-footed cross in Aberdeen’s 4-2 Scottish Cup win against Dundee United at the weekend.
Christie, then, could hardly do much more to convince Brendan Rodgers that he deserves a chance at Celtic.
It is now two-and-a-half years since the Hoops snapped up the fresh-faced attacker from Inverness. And, to date, he has played just 13 games for Celtic. But, if Rodgers has been watching his performances at Aberdeen closely, he will surely see that Christie has both the technique and the big-game temperament to fit in at Parkhead.
Who knows, maybe he could even replace Stuart Armstrong one day.
Speculation about the midfielder’s future just will not go away. He committed his future to Celtic in the summer after a prolonged transfer saga but hasn’t been the same dynamic, influential figure since.
And it seems that Armstrong’s future will once again come into question in a few months’ time, with the Sunday Post claiming Southampton are keen on a £10 million deal.
But with Armstrong’s form a far cry from last season, and with Christie waiting in the wings, Celtic should be more open than ever to cashing in on the Scotland international.
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