Celtic must be delighted that they have already got James Forrest tied down to a new contract.
When James Forrest signed his new deal in September, he seemed to mark the occasion in fairly underwhelming fashion, by helping Celtic beat Aberdeen 1-0 in the Scottish Premiership before being harshly sent off against RB Leipzig.
No one really questioned the decision to hand Forrest a contract. He has enjoyed a fantastic turnaround under Brendan Rodgers, and tying him down until 2022 means that he could well enjoy the best years of his career with the Hoops.
However, few could have imagined that the decision to hand Forrest a new contract would turn out to be potentially Celtic’s best piece of business this season within a couple of months.
The Leipzig red card appears to have really sparked the winger into life. His next game saw him score four at St Johnstone, and he has now scored 12 goals in his last 11 appearances for club and country.
His form inspired Scotland to secure promotion in the Nations League. And Brendan Rodgers will now be hoping that he can maintain this run over the coming months with Celtic only just hitting top form and top spot in the Premiership.
Of course, he has been so good lately that he probably will not even need to continue this level of form to attract attention from other clubs.
And while Celtic would have potentially found themselves in a vulnerable position had his new contract not been agreed, getting the fresh terms done and dusted has meant that the Bhoys will find it a lot easier to make sure that Forrest goes nowhere.
If another team wants the winger, his new contract may well ensure that Celtic can demand an eye-watering sum to take him away from Parkhead.
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