Talks ongoing: Celtic want to finalise agreement with reported £12,000-a-week ace
By Harry Sykes
Celtic are still locked in talks with goalkeeper Craig Gordon about agreeing an extended contract.
Manager Brendan Rodgers gave an update on negotiations on Thursday and explained that the Scottish giants are hopeful of tying the 34-year-old down to a new deal.
“Contract offer still ongoing,” said Rodgers, as quoted by the official Celtic Twitter account. “These things take a little bit of time. We all want it resolved as soon as we can.
“This is an important contract for Craig and the club, so certainly not stalled. It’s just ongoing talks and I would hope that it would be resolved very soon.”
The Mail claim that the Bhoys set to offer ex-Sunderland keeper Gordon an increase on his current £12,000-a-week wage.
The Daily Record reported last month that Chelsea submitted two bids for Gordon during the January window, with offers of £3million and £4million both rejected.
The 34-year-old is contracted to the runaway Scottish league leaders until the summer of 2018, which already ties him to Parkhead until he is 35.
But Celtic chiefs have been impressed by Gordon’s performances this season after he saw off competition from summer signing Dorus de Vries to nail down the No1 spot.
Football Insider verdict:
Gordon has been a strong performer for the soon-to-be Scottish champions, who have opened up a chasm between themselves and all other clubs in the top flight. Some might say that a keeper plucked from the academy could have spent all season between the sticks and it would have made not a jot of difference to Rodgers’ side. But that would be unfair. Gordon is a consistent operator and Chelsea would not be sniffing around him unless he was the real deal. That said, Celtic should be considering a younger goalkeeper for the future and their scouts may well be searching for Gordon’s successor already.
In other Celtic transfer news, a big-name striker wants to be at Celtic next next season.