Reported fee for Chelsea’s Charly Musonda would make Celtic move an absolute bargain

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Celtic are reportedly closing in on the exciting signing of Chelsea attacker Charly Musonda.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers all but confirmed the identity of the Scottish champions’ next summer signing on Sunday.

“It’s good money that will be spent on the player who is of a substantial pedigree and quality. He is young but he is a big talent and he has experience,” the Northern Irishman gushed to the Daily Mail with a twinkle in his eye. “He’s a very good player.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers

And, according to the report, the ‘mystery man’ in question is more than likely to be Chelsea starlet Charly Musonda. The 21-year-old, who has not yet made his senior bow in blue, has the speed, the vision and the dazzling class to seize the number ten role in Rodgers’ starting XI at Parkhead.

He demonstrated as much in a superb loan spell at Real Betis in 2015/16, capturing the minds and the hearts of the watching public with a series of genuinely exhilarating displays.

The manager himself even went as far as to liken Musonda to Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho, the creative stars of his thrilling 2013/14 Liverpool nearly-men.

And if a move for one of Europe’s most exciting attacking midfielders was not impressive enough, the Daily Record claims that Celtic may have to pay just £5 million for the Belgian Under-21 international.

Great value

Though that is within touching distance of the club-record £6 million Martin O’Neill spent on Chris Sutton and John Hartson, the fee is merely pocket change in today’s market. Particularly when you consider the going rate for talented young attackers of Musonda’s ilk.

Chelsea’s Charly Musonda

There is every reason to believe that, after just 12 months at Parkhead, Musonda will be valued as highly as fellow prodigy and gossip column regular Moussa Dembele.

And it is not as if Chelsea usually sell on the cheap either. Bournemouth were forced to splash out £20 million on Nathan Ake after all, as reported by the Guardian.

Therefore, Celtic signing Musonda would not only be a typically astute signing from the club renowned for spotting rough diamonds. It would also be one of the most impressive bargains in European football this summer.