Kristoffer Ajer made clear to Norwegian media his intentions to leave Celtic this summer. “With one year left of my contract, that would be the best solution for me and my club. Something is going to happen this summer.”
Kris made it clear to the club two years ago he would not sign a new contract and has stuck to plan since. For me, he was our stand-out Player of the Year last season and compares to the very best central defenders we have seen in the modern era.
At 23, Kris is one year older than Virgil van Dijk when he joined Celtic in 2013. I would be hard pressed to pick a more impressive season between Kris’ last season or Virgil’s first. Virgil was better in the air but I have never seen a Celtic central defender break through the lines as safely or effectively as Kris. Virgil tried this but was not in the same class.
Just as we knew Virgil could do better than Southampton, Kris can do better than the apparently-keen Newcastle. Liverpool could do worse than pair them up next season, he will play for a top EPL team eventually. I hope we keep him for the European qualifiers.
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Shoot
Goal 👏👏👏👏👏
Missed it, pescy work! 🤣😂😉
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 4TH JUNE 2021 12:01 PM
Good strike!
Good luck Kris Ajer!
Disappointed Ajer has made it clear he wants to leave. Saw him as potentially a future Captain.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
LENNYBHOY on 4TH JUNE 2021 12:04 PM
Was always going imo.
Given the dysfunctional operation at CP is it fair to think that any players who were swithering about whether to stay or go are now more likely to decide to go?
I love Ajer but he is not a great centre half. Would have been amazing over the last few years as holding midfielder but that position was ‘dead man’s shoes’.
If he is gong, we need 2 centre halves. No need to ‘break lines’ just be able to defend
Oops Sorry Paul67 I was on wrong article.
D :)
If someone teaches him to head a ball he will be the complete modern centre back. Failing that pair him with someone who can and he’ll be one half of a brilliant partnership. I do rate Kris. Would love to have kept him. Even for another year but too big a gamble not to cash in.
We’d best have some quality replacements lined up.
Time will tell.
Sad that this is still the way football is. Kris could have a stellar career at celtic if he wanted. But double, treble, quadruple your wage and buy into the hype of English football – it is hard to resist I suppose.
Ajer will be off.
I dont think he is a centre back or he never got the proper coaching.
Would have been good to see him in a CM holding role.
Coach him on his heading the ball/timing/positioning and he could be a decent centre back 😂. What I mean is he has pace/height and is good with the ball at his feet.
D :)
Either way it’s time for a clear out, which not so secretly means excitement on seeing new players or maybe even promoted players.
Paul 67
You buy cheap and sell for massive profit.
It is the club policy, when a player wants to move to the super money.
Adios Kris Ajer CSC
Another article on a player leaving.
God, it would be great to be able to take about incoming players.
But we can’t
Not until we have an incoming manager. I’m not even going to suggest ‘management team’ any longer. We’re going with the tried and failed pick n mix dugout option.
Oh wait, Wim Jansen something something
I wish Kris well.
Let’s sell him and get his replacement in before the qualifiers.
Playing players with an eye on an imminent departure does not augur well for going into 50-50 challenges.
Big Jimmy
I left an answer for you on the previous thread
Celtic Mac
Thanks for the Band prog recommendation
I left two more lighthearted films out of my top 10 but they deserve to be there
My Favourite Year – Peter O Toole
The Princess Bride with Mandy Patinkin stealing the show
Kris will be a great success wherever he goes and whatever position he plays.
There was absolutely no correlation between a lack of desire and a player’s status as a loanee, or want away.
Kris Ajer shone whilst poor Shane Duffy, who desperately wanted to do well, stank the place out.
We reach for the explanation of laziness, lack of motivation, disinterested (sic) too easily. It explains nothing- it just explains things away.
“Ajer can follow van Dijk to top”
Undoubtedly.
And this isn’t a surprise.
The objective now must be to market this £20m plus asset in the right bracket.
Not the Newcastle/Norwich level
“£10m now plus £15% of £60m in 2 years time” bracket.
Good luck Kris.
Kris was great this year and generally has been since he broke into the first team.
He is a right footed player who has consistently played at left CB. It will be interesting to see at his new club if he gets to play in a more natural position.
Nonetheless, Kris and Jullien formed a good partnership, with the latter being dominant in the air and Kris being able to drive forward. We have missed that partnership this year.
Reasonable call though by other posters.
Duffy gone
Jullien injured
Hendry speculation
Kris departure likely
Two first team ready CBs urgently needed.
Would it not be beneficial to keep Ajer for the season depending on the fee we would receive if he goes? If and I know right now it’s a huge if! The team and manager comes together and we win the league next season. The riches on offer from the champions league entry would compensate the money we receive just now. The figures being reported are about 5 million. Just a thought. Hail Hail
I love Ajer but he will never ever be a top class defender because he is simply not a natural defender , it breaks my heart that he will leave our club without ever playing where he should have , ;(
Coneybhoy on 4th June 2021 12:08 pm
Some common sense, if AJer is a CH football has changed beyond recognition.
Can’t head the ball, too soft and constantly uses his hands when defending in the box.
Decent player yes, CH never.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 4th June 2021 12:32 pm
Just like last season and the season before. Anyone have any faith that it will be resolved this year?
Above all else, a CH should be commanding in the air. Ajer’s weakness in that was a major reason as to why we lost so many goals due to poor defending at set pieces.
Sadly Kris has simply outgrown the limited-vision, old firm-focused Celtic.
One of the best ball-carrying defenders I have seen for a long time.
Choose your next destination wisely, Kris. The right coach, the right playing style and ideally an experienced CB partner to improve the defensive side of your game.
Could go all the way.
I thought I read Hendry sold for 1.3M to Oostende this morning ?.
I had said at the time that no one could get this squad of players to play for Celtic. They were on a work to rule under Lennon and it was no surprise that Kennedy and Strachan could not get them to play
That being said I was completely unimpressed by Team selection, Formations and tactics adopted by Kennedy once he was in charge. He basically done the same as Neil Lennon had failed with. Once the league was over he didn’t use the opportunity to look to future seasons and played the same failures. Easter Road was a disgrace when Celtic could only muster a walking pace against a weakened Hibs team
Now it appears that club intends to keep Kennedy and Strachan in position as members of a new coaching team. This is such an error.
The Fans will not accept these 2 coaches as they were there under Lennon and when given the opportunity to run things a different way after Lennon, they just reverted to type.
Kennedy needs to leave and learn the ropes elsewhere before he returns to the Celtic dug out.
DeniaBhoy Thanks for the music doc recommendation , whats the best one to start with ?
Would have loved Kris to stay a couple of years more and to have got Gary Cahill in on a free. Just no ambition for that kind of thing…..
Any clubs thinking they are shopping in the nickel and dime store for Kris Ajer can get tae .
Moreover , if he ends up at a relegation /promotion yoyo club like Norwich , he needs to sack his advisors .
He is No VVD
Letting Hendry go would be a mistake.
Regarding “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”. Jack accepted his BATTA Award for (for Chinatown and The Last Detail) of the set of Cuckoo’s Nest. It’s the best award acceptance ever, video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtHI0ipkgEo
I don’t see Kris anywhere near the quality of Virgil. He’s a good player, but not sure what position he will eventually land in. He’s not a centre half because he can’t focus on marking and can’t win aerial challenges. Maybe he’ll end up in the right back slot – he did well for us there. We need to sell while we can get good money for him.
Ajer and Broony, the only two that can leave with their head held high.
We need to sell these players at the fight time preferably having already recruited a replacement. Ajer should have been punted last year same as Eddy, N’cham and Christie.
Even Top teams are looking at squad rotation.
We will not get a price for Ajer that we would have last season