West Brom, Everton and Southampton are all hoping to take advantage of Stuart Armstrong’s precarious contract situation at Celtic.
With the transfer market spiralling out of control and valuations seemingly decided by club owners scrawling the first name that comes into their head onto a scrap of A4, Stuart Armstrong should command a very hefty fee on paper.
The dynamic central midfielder scored 17 goals and played a major role as Celtic sealed an undefeated domestic treble last season, after all, forcing his way into Gordan Strachan’s Scotland squad to boot.
However, the harsh reality facing Celtic is that they may not receive anything like Armstrong’s true market value if he departs Parkhead this summer.
After all, the former Dundee United favourite is out of contract in 2018 and, according to The Express, the club and the player remain poles apart in negotiations over a new deal.
Dilemma
As such, the report adds that Premier League trio Southampton, West Brom and Everton could launch bids as little as £3 million before n transfer window shuts at the end of this month.
Considering the other fees flying around this summer, Armstrong would be a bargain even David Dickinson would be proud of.
Manager Brendan Rodgers remains steadfast in his belief that Armstrong wants to stay with the Scottish Champions but has now admitted, as reported by the Daily Record, that ongoing speculation is starting to impact the midfielder’s on-pitch performances.
An undisputed starter last season, he was only introduced as a late sub in the weekend’s 1-0 win at Partick Thistle.
Either way, this looks like a lose-lose scenario for Celtic currently. Either they sell Armstrong for a fraction of his worth or they keep him for another year and risk him performing well below his usual high standards before leaving on a free.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
