Report: Leicester plot £20m summer bid for Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer

Add as preferred source on Google

According to a report from The Sun on Sunday (3/11; page 61), Leicester City are planning to make a £20 million bid for Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer next summer.

The Foxes have made an outstanding start to the season. And much of their success has come from a superb defensive record. No team in the Premier League has conceded fewer goals than Leicester.

Nevertheless, former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to strengthen at the back. The Sun on Sunday (3/11; page 61) reports that he wants Ajer at the King Power Stadium as a long-term replacement for Jonny Evans.

The report suggests that Rodgers is aware that Celtic will not sell Ajer in January. Instead, he plans to make a £20 million move at the end of the season.

TBR View

It would be a big blow to lose Ajer. And it would be no surprise if many Celtic fans felt that the club should be asking for even more. But a £20 million move would represent another fantastic piece of business from the Hoops.

Ajer signed as a 17-year-old before eventually breaking into the side during Rodgers’s tenure. The 21-year-old remains a key player under Neil Lennon, and his eventual departure, unfortunately, looks to be somewhat inevitable.

But it would be a big statement if Celtic could stave off Leicester’s interest next year. The Bhoys should not feel under any financial pressure to sell, and Ajer may be wary of moving if he is not going to be playing regularly.

Celtic therefore, may perhaps feel that Leicester’s valuation is not far off their own. Nevertheless, perhaps the Hoops should be prepared to try and dig their heels in when Rodgers comes calling.