On balance I am sure you would want Stuart Armstrong in the squad than not. He has been a clear success since arriving from Dundee United three years ago, but injury did not do him any favour last season, as he was unable to win back his starting place when fit.
The appetite for either the club or player to sign another one-year extension to his contract, which is due to expire in 12 months, will be low. Stuart will either sign a long-term deal on terms equivalent to those he currently earns, leave under freedom of contract next summer, or be sold in August.
West Brom were keen to take the player a year ago, but relegation may force them to reconsider (and may reduce their attractiveness to Stuart). While that move would have earned Stuart a huge contract, the timing was not right for Celtic, who were reluctant to allow a then-first choice player to leave before a replacement could be found.
Celtic will be easier to deal with this summer, but whether Stuart’s agent can attract a comparable contract offer as a year ago remains to be seen. What is clear is that Brendan Rodgers is looking to bring fresh talent into the squad, and someone will those already of the fringe of the team will not find it any easier to get game time next season.
The last time Stuart needs is a season on the bench as his contract runs down. I hope he stays and signs a long-term deal, but getting a bumper fee for him, or allowing the rest of the squad to note a cautionary tale on what to do when Celtic offer you a contract, would not be the worst thing.
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Quiet today
Sadly I think Stretch is ready for a move
never seemed fully committed
Moving to West Brom wouldn’t be the worst move for him. Pretty sure they will bounce straight back and he could be set for life.
Ideally he’d stay but he’s no longer an out and out starter. If we get a small fee we could use that to sign McGinn.
What I hope will happen this summer is: Dembele stays another year, Edouard signs permanent, McGinn signs, Armstrong out for a decent fee, Flanagan signs & we sign a new winger.
I’d also like to see the CB position sorted out permanently. Obviously Hendry & Ajer are here for the long term but the futures of Simunovic, Compper & Boyata are up in the air.
Personally, I don’t think joining an EPL relegation fodder team will do much for Stuart’s development. If development as a player is important to him ,he’s better off where he is.
I would not expect West Brom to come straight back up. Last season’s relegated trio all missed out, Sunderland catastrophically. Stoke are the team with access to plenty of money, and a good Championship manager in post.
On transfers into Celtic “quality not quantity” is the constant refrain – a mistake I think. There are always injuries, always loss of form, always fatigue, always suspensions. We need cover for every position, and particlarly for the high-attrition position of centre back. Martin always knew that you could never have too many centre backs…
Using KT as a first-choice left back and a handy cover for centre back is a fast route to burnout. If his eventual destiny is to be a centre back or holding midfielder then start him there and get a new left back. Nobody reached the top thanks to their versatility.
Any player who gets beyond the forward the way Stretch does is a valuable asset to the squad, injury saw him last season saw him lose his place to the ever improving Calmac who never let us down.
It’s up to the Bhoy if he has the interest in what Brendan is building at Celtic to stay and fight for his place in a winning team who are up for a CL place.
If he does he’ll stay if not he will go, as ever I’m interested to see who Brendan will bring in and who will go.
I like Stuart as a player if he stays I’ll be happy if he goes I wish him well..
I know where I would rather be:))
Does he really want away or is this the greed of a agent HH
Hope Armstrong stays, he’s a far better player than John McGinn, who for the life of me I cannot understand why he is touted for Celtic. West Brom might be his level not Armstrong’s.
If he goes and we reinvest the fed then good luck to him.
timaloy29 on 11th June 2018 12:34 pm
Flanagan? He’s joining the Steevee Gee revolution, supposedly going to Spain for pre season training with them
Celtic needs to do what is best for the club. Sell him to the highest bidder. No point in keeping a player who is less than committed. If we don’t sell him, then he will allow his contract to run down and we will not get a fee.
He is not a current first choice
He will get larger wages in England, sell now
These transfer speculation posts have got me thinking about who I consider as the kind of players whom I am happy to call Celtic players
These for me:
Gordon
Ajer
Tierney
Forrest
Brown
Ntcham
McGregor
Rogic
Dembele.
Maybe good enough:
Boyata
Armstrong
Sinclair
I also think Edouard is good enough but he is not ours……yet.
I did think Simunovic was good enough but I no longer do.
JJ
….and I am OK with Hendry !
HOT SMOKED on 11TH JUNE 2018 1:24 PM
Griff?
Weet 3 Update- a mutual pal was up seeing him today, and seen a big improvement in the last week, still struggling for movement in his left leg, but getting better, slowly but surely.
At George Best airport. Had a marvellous weekend in Belfast with some amazing characters from CQN. Highlight was meeting our fallen comrade Macanbeatha’s wife Paula and their son Sean, along with Raymac fae Belfast. Special thanks to the thorough Belfast gentleman Jamesie 16 roads. He is a star. Only downer was the bigot taxi company who would not take BMCUW, CCB, Friesdorfer and myself to Falls Road on Saturday, meaning we missed the tour and Felons club. Sorry to not see my pal Gearoid. Weekend whizzed by. Always a sign I loved it. Huge thank you to BMCUW and Friesdorfer. You brilliant Bhoys both know why.
Sean McVeigh RIP
YNWA
Forgive me if this has already been discussed on here. Just read JJ and it has been suggested that Club 1872 have taken out a £2million loan. Wooft! This will go straight into the war chest. Can you imagine the sleepless nights you would have if you were a signed up member? I wonder how much the monthly repayments will be and over what period of time.
I hope Armstrong stays and nails down his future and with it a belief in his abiloty that he will not be a bench warmer.
If he doesn’t have that then I could see why a move with higher financial rewards over a shorter time frame would be more attractive.
I hope he stays, on his game he gives us something we missed last season when he missed games, but not the one before.
However if he goes I hope it turns out best for him.
Stuart Armstrong and Tom Rogic are my two favourite current Celtic players. I would hope that SA signs a four year contract and like TR, is here for 12 in a row.
YNWA
SeanP1916
Like most, if not all, Celtic supporters, I like Griff. I like him a lot but , for me , he lacks that little bit of class and presence that Dembele has.
I suppose I could have put him in the `maybe good enough` section :-)
Cheerio for now,
JJ
DD
Glad you n ghuys had a fab weekend HH
HOT SMOKED on 11TH JUNE 2018 1:41 PM
TICK my job here is done :-)
on a serious note, i agree he perhaps is a level under the elite that Moussa looks like he can aspire too but for taking chances and sniffing out a goal there aint many better around than Griff so he would for sure be part of any squad IMO
No one knows the behind the scenes negotiations going on with Armstrong.We don’t know what’s been offered.IMPO,I would say the boy is a 7 million pound player.Some nonsense spoken that he does not seem interested.Did not come across like that to me when he played at the end of the season and scored,or laid on a goal.sHeer delight in his celebrations.We do not have another player who does what he does.We could not afford to buy anyone like him either.The way some fans dismiss players leaves me bewildered sometimes.
Someone saying buy Flanagan !!!!!!!!!.On what evidence?He is Hun fodder.If Armstrong is moving because we can’t make him a decent offer,I would be disappointed.If he wants to go,just to go,and earn a bit more,goodbye,but he will be missed.
If your heart and mind are not at ,Celtic,then its best you go,Armstrong is OK,nothing special,so if he wants to go fine by me,Flannigan also not for me,I like Gamboa,think he has decent pace,don’t know why Brendan Rodgers, didn’t give him more games,at right back,also young Ralston, decent enough, but not at Celtic, John McGinn I don’t know,Shinnie up at Aberdeen would be a better addition, and remember it’s just my opinion.
Stuart Armstrong is one of the best pro’s at Celtic. Future Captain; indeed he could be it now if not for Scott Brown doing so well in the roll (never thought he was captain-material when he got the gig). I’ll be 100% gutted if Stuart Armstrong leaves, especially for next to nothing in the final year of his contract, to the English Premiership, where you couldn’t buy an 17 year-old him for the money quoted.
My gut says Brendan will get him the contact he wants if he is at all keen to stay. BR knows you need a team of leaders and Stuart is definitely one of them.
GERRYFAETHEBRIG on10TH JUNE 2018 9:43 PM
Auldheid
There are many many Celtic fans who realise the cheating but actually don’t care about the Hun cheating and just enjoy beating whatever entity that emanates from Govan …. probably more Celtic fans young & old are more interested in Stevie Gee than Res12… like many on here I also appreciate your efforts for a “clean” game, although I do think it’s getting cleaner each century :-
=========
Of course they but somebody older has to take a longer term view and try and protect them from the dangers accepting cheating will cause.
Two of the motivating reasons for me were
1 to call the SFA to account and whilst the JPDT charges relate to RFC, what happened did not take place in a vacuum and the SFA will have questions to answer to the JPDT, so partial success, but the SFA should not be judging themselves and that needs to change.
2. Leverage to make that kind of reform happen and I think what has happened will provide Celtic with the levers to pull with evidence of SFA behaviour to back up why reform is essential.
Chairbhoy
Yes who knows the veracity in that TRFC statement re end of March but the concerns it raises will one way or another find itself to the Compliance Officer.
Paul67
I was delighted when Stuart Armstrong signed an extension last year and would be the same if he commits again, but it doesn’t look likely with MSM conducting the band and even able to tell us what the bidding starts at?
Armstrongs major flaw is inconsistency and fluctuating form where we’ve only seen the real him for one spell in his three years, and I think that’s that why BR
is on record as saying there would be no protracted contract talks again this year with the player entering the last year of his contract, I think we might cash in if
MSM chip wrappers results in a real bid?
However, wouldn’t an English club be daft to spend upwards of £4M when they can offer Armstrong a pre contract in January and spend zilch, this is the option Scottish media never cover with Celtic transfer ‘targets’
All a waste of time speculating. CSC
Meant to mention,a couple of belters on Monkey Media today on their Eropa chances
“This is a nightmare competition for big teams.Ourselves and the Turks went out last year” BIG TEAM.
“HOPE WE GET TO VISIT Dublin on the 12th.Sort these Fenians out”
“Have to watch some of these Irish teams fans.Some are bad,bad,bad was,and really badly behaved”.
Dearly me.
As long as Calum McGregor maintain his form – and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t – then Stuart is better off heading off, he wont be getting a game if Calum plays as well as he did last season.
Excuse my posts.I have mentioned that this Tablet is AFF its heid.
TOSB @ 1.35
Ole 1872 and the loan Rainjurz will be going Tonto
Rock Tree Buoy
It possibly a 64 game season.A lot of “Form maintaining “to be done.We can’t have enough good players.
Paul67 et al
Not many can make as a professional football player and earn a degree at the same time, Jim Craig was one Stuart is another. That gives him more options than most. A background in law, even if not a qualified lawyer, could see him gain a license as a football agent in the future. Experience with a law firm could get him a professional qualification, but less likely to make as much money as a player/agent. Celtic have people on board, loads of good connections, find out what Stuart wants to do longer term, and say we can help you. Help him set an office/business in London for example, get him to sign a three year extension, guaranteeing a substantial income while developing a future law career. We could help make that happen. Failing which drum up as much interest as possible and sell him to Fulham, Brighton, West Ham whoever, with the proviso that….
Hair like that doesn’t come cheap.
FrannyB
16roads introduced me to Bik McFarlane yesterday and I got a photo taken with ‘the brains’
YNWA
Great weekend in Belfast. Many thanks to BMCUWP for arranging, and DD for company and tourist information! That CCB has hollow legs I’m sure…
Fantastic to meet up with CQN fholks, especially those for the first time, and particularly 16 Roads for looking after us so well. Sorry to have missed the tour, but DD has clarified the situation. On iron horse, to coin a phrase, to Halbeath en route to Dundee. HH
agree with others re J.McG don’t for the life of me see what he would bring apart from a bit more ‘dig’ , we want quality, a straight into the first team player, not another project, he is nowhere near the quality we require and never will be with any amount of coaching.
Just shook the hand of a certain Mr Brendan Rodgers. He is on my flight to Glasgow. That has made my weekend in Belfast complete. He was asking after Roy Croppie
YNWA