Celtic centre-back Kristoffer Ajer made an error in the draw with Rennes.
Celtic’s draw with Rennes is a game Kristoffer Ajer might rather forget.
Ajer made a rash challenge to give away a penalty, which Mbaye Niang scored from to give Rennes the lead.
Ryan Christie’s equaliser spared Ajer’s blushes, but it was not a good night for the Norwegian centre-back.
Looking at the bigger picture, this might not be a bad thing for Celtic’s perspective.
Ajer is a player with a bright future, one who has attracted recent transfer market interest.
The Scottish Sun reported over the summer that Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester were keen.
Italian outlet TMW also claimed Ajer was on AC Milan’s defensive shortlist.
Failed audition
Ajer’s quality in the Scottish league is known, but there have long been doubts, fairly or unfairly, about the quality of the league and competition.
This was why clubs backed off Virgil van Dijk, with regret, but he is largely seen as an exception.
Clubs would have been watching how Ajer might get on against Rennes with interest, to see how he handled the big occasion.
It was a test he failed, and clubs will be wary of investing a big fee for him on the basis of this performance.
From Celtic’s perspective, that might not be a bad thing. Ajer can continue to develop with the Scottish champions.
Regardless of the future, he will have to lift his game for the rest of Celtic’s Europa League adventure.
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