CELTIC talisman Odsonne Edouard WILL be at the champions for the historic 10 in a row bid.
That’s the verdict of former Hoops fans’ favourite Kris Commons who believes the 22-year-old French strike ace will not push for a move with two years still to run on his contract.
Plus chief executive Peter Lawwell will have no intention of allowing the club’s £9million record buy to quit with Neil Lennon’s men on the brink of something extra special.
As anticipated, Edouard has figured heavily in the transfer rumour whirlwind in recent months and Aston Villa are the lastest English outfit to be linked with last season’s 28-goal frontman. Arsenal, Leicester City and Everton have also been mentioned and valuations have soared to £40million and beyond.
Scotland’s title kings splashed £5million last week to bring in Swiss international hitman Albian Ajeti from West Ham and Commons reckons the ex-Basel forward will partner Edouard as opposed to replacing him in Lennon’s frontline.
The former Scotland international playmaker, speaking to the Daily Mail, said: “One theory which I’ve heard doing the rounds in recent days has been that Odsonne Edouard’s future will hinge on Celtic’s progress in Europe this season and what happens over these next few weeks.
“The suggestion seems to be that a failure to reach the group stage of the Champions League would inevitably hasten his departure prior to the transfer window closing in October.
“I totally DISAGREE with that. For me, there’s absolutely no chance that Celtic will even contemplate selling their star striker at this late juncture. That ship has sailed.
“The season is already under way. If they were of a mind to cash-in on Edouard, they’d have done it six weeks ago to give themselves time to find a suitable replacement.
“The signing of Albian Ajeti changes nothing in that respect. Despite the £5million fee, there’s no way he’s been bought as a direct replacement for Edouard.
“You don’t replace one of the best young strikers in Europe with a boy who was warming the bench for West Ham last season.”
Commons, who quit Parkhead after failing to make a solitary first-team appearance during Brendan Rodgers’ debut season in 2016/17, added: “As for Edouard, he’s still got one more year left in the tank at Celtic. I would be astonished if they let him go at this stage of proceedings.
“Listen, I understand that money talks. But Peter Lawwell is a smart man. He’ll know that selling Edouard now would be playing with fire.
“If the club sold their star player and then failed to secure 10 in a row this season, Lawwell won’t need anyone to tell him that the fans would hound him out of the club.
“What will help Celtic’s cause is that I genuinely don’t see Edouard agitating for a move. He seems a really level-headed boy and I don’t see a repeat of what happened with Dembele a couple of years ago.
“There was a lot of politics involved in that. Dembele eventually demanded to leave after what he felt were broken promises from Rodgers.
“I don’t see that happening with Edouard. To be honest, it’s actually in his best interests to stick around for at least one more season.”
