Is Scott Brown closer than ever to ending his 12 year spell in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic?
Speculation over the future of Celtic skipper Scott Brown has rumbled on for a number of months now with the 33-year-old entering the final few months of his contract.
Western Melbourne have made no secret of their desire to sign the former Scotland captain as a marquee addition after being permitted entry into the Australian A-League for the first time ahead of the 2019/20 season.
According to the Daily Record, the Aussie newcomers have seen a two-year deal, with an offer of a third, turned down by Brown. But they have not been deterred – and it seems that they are now confident of ending the veteran midfielder’s trophy-laden spell in Glasgow.
“We are pretty close with some players including a marquee,” Maurice Bisetto, who is one of Western Melbourne’s main backers, said in quotes reported by the Daily Record.
“We think Scott Brown has a lot of positives and could make a significant contribution to a new club as a leader on and off the field.
“There’s no doubt we could go for a bigger name, and that might get eyeballs and put bums on seats initially, but we are really focused on results and performance and the style of football we want to play.”
Western Melbourne have received some criticism Down Under for targeting a defensively minded midfielder like Brown rather than a big-name attacker such as Alessandro Del Piero, Robbie Fowler or Keisuke Honda, all who have starred in the A-League in recent years.
Fortunately for Celtic, they have shown that there is life after Brown in the last few months. The midfielder has struggled with injuries and Brendan Rodgers’ side have produced their best performances in his absence.
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