Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Celtic defender Kris Ajer.
That was the claim from the Daily Mail yesterday, with the Magpies supposedly ready to launch an £8 million offer.
This summer, 20-cap Norway international Ajer will only have a year remaining on his contract, meaning Celtic could be forced to sell.
It’s claimed Celtic would actually be looking for around £35 million for the 22-year-old, suggesting Newcastle could well be wasting their time with any pursuit of Ajer.
Realistically a £35 million asking price is wishful thinking from the Scottish giants.
But this summer Ajer could be a wanted man, and he’ll surely cost considerably more than the £8 million Newcastle are reportedly preparing to offer.
Ajer is a huge talent with big potential, and the player’s fellow countryman Brede Hangeland recently said that he was like a man playing against boys in Scotland (via Scottish Sun).
Simply put, Newcastle need to be thinking of offering much more to stand any chance this summer, and they also need to be staying in the Premier League
Current Newcastle plan for Ajer destined to fail
At the moment, Ajer is one of Celtic’s top players, and the club have shown in recent years that they will command premium fees if they’re going to sell individuals from that particular bracket.
Kieran Tierney and Moussa Dembele both left for sums around the £20 million mark and, chances are, Celtic will want a similarly large compensation package to part with Ajer.
£8 million would simply be low-balling, and it runs the risk of leading to Celtic completely abandoning negotiations
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