Celtic can’t afford to take ‘big risk’ after source’s young player reveal – Hutton
Alan Hutton has claimed it is a “big risk” for Celtic to use youth players in the first team.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Rangers defender said that the pressure on the Glasgow clubs is too high for them to bring youth players into the team regularly.
On 30 March, sources told this site that the Hoops have accepted a £1.2million bid from Aston Villa for teenager Aidan Borland.
The initial fee is believed to be £300,000, rising to £1.2m with add-ons and is similar to the deal struck between Villa and Rangers for Rory Wilson last summer.
With a move south of the border, Borland is set to join Ben Doak, another Celtic academy product lured by the draw of the Premier League.
Doak, 17, has been impressing at Liverpool and has already featured for the first team.
When asked if the draw of the Premier League is a big concern for Celtic, Hutton told Football Insider: “I think so.
“I think it is always going to be there. I think it is the best league in the world and you can totally understand why players would like to go down there.
“The disappointing thing for the likes of Rangers and Celtic is the fee. Because they are so young, it is probably not what they are worth.
“You look at the likes of Doak, Billy Gilmour and the talent, the potential fee they could bring in in the future. The clubs have nurtured that and brought that through. It is a shame to see these talented players go.
“The biggest thing for Rangers and Celtic is that they must win trophies now. They might not have the time to bring a player through. But the likes of Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp have the ability to bring them in and out.
“Rangers and Celtic must win silverware and it is a big risk to just throw in younger players and hope that it works out. It is kind of a Catch-22 situation.“
In other news, Celtic star ‘dreaming’ of Premier League move.