£10m man must wish he’d joined Celtic or Rangers; He’s desperate to go

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For the first time in more than a decade, two different Scottish clubs could be gracing the Champions League group-stages next season. Celtic are already assured of a place in the pot; Their reward for winning the Premiership title during Ange Postecoglou’s outstanding debut season in the Parkhead dugout. 

And Rangers are now just 90 minutes away from joining them. A one-goal victory away at PSV Eindhoven next week will be enough.  

Boubakar ‘Kiki’ Kouyate, meanwhile, will be tuning into Europe’s most iconic club competition from the comfort of his own home; Knowing that it could have been him on the big stage, rather than merely sat in the audience. 

Celtic and Rangers wanted Boubakar ‘Kiki’ Kouyate

According to France Football, Kouyate was a target for Celtic during the summer of 2020. Rangers too, with Steven Gerrard reportedly an admirer of a now-12-cap Mali international who was plying his trade at Troyes at the time. 

Kouyate would end the window as a Metz player, however, putting pen to paper on a long-term deal at the Stade Saint-Symphorien. How he must be wishing he could turn back the clock now, with both Celtic and Rangers making great strides in the last two years; The former revitalised under Postecoglou, the latter Europa League finalists as recently as three months ago. 

Metz, meanwhile, are a second tier club these days; Going head to head with Grenoble, Niort and Pau rather than Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Les Grenats finished joint-bottom of the Ligue 1 table last term, winning just six of a possible 38 games. 

And it seems that Kouyate has no real appetite for sticking around to help Metz climb the ladder again. According to L’Equipe, the 25-year-old is desperate to leave before September’s deadline, with Serie A clubs battling Galatasaray and Burnley for his signature. The Clarets, per The Sun, have offered £2.5 million. Metz want £10 million. Coming to an agreement, then, may be easier said than done. 

“The absence of Kouyate. The player’s decision,” coach Laszlo Boloni says when asked why Kouyate had ruled himself out of Metz’ 2-0 win over Valenciennes last weekend. 

Clearly, Kouyate is taking things into his own hands as he looks to force an exit. To think; How differently things would have worked out for him if he’d moved to Glasgow instead.