Why Celtic keeping hold of Odsonne Edouard is the right move

According to Daily Record, Celtic are in talks with striker Odsonne Edouard over a contract extension that could see him stay put at Celtic Park amidst interest from several top European teams, including Leicester.

Edouard, 22, came through the youth ranks Paris Saint-Germain but could not break into the club’s senior team. He was later sent on loan spells to Toulouse and Celtic, before joining the latter on a permanent basis in the summer of 2018.

Though he did not feature regularly for the Hoops while on loan, he scored 8 goals and provided 2 assists in 25 games across all competitions and that was enough to convince then-manager Brendan Rodgers to sign him permanently. He finished the 2018/19 season as Celtic’s top scorer in the Premiership and became a key member of the team.

The French youth international carried the fine form into this season and already has 20 goals in the league. He also helped the side lift the Bretford Cup earlier this season after the Hoops defeated Rangers 1-0 in the final.

Meanwhile, Neil Lennon’s men have been in sublime form this campaign and are inching closer to retaining the Premiership title.

The Glasgow-based club have progressed to the semi-finals of the SFA Cup after defeating St. Johnstone at the weekend. However, the 3-1 loss at home to FC Copenhagen has crushed their hopes of making a name for themselves in Europe this season.

Therefore, to be competitive in all the competitions next season, Celtic boss Lennon should make sure that there are some changes made to the key areas in the team. And he should also be able to retain his key players. In that case, handing a contract extension to Edouard would be a huge boost for the side.

The 22-year-old has been in fine form since his arrival in Scotland. In 124 games for the Hoops, he has scored 59 goals and provided 29 assists. He has been scoring at a decent rate and no player in the team has scored more than him since he made his debut for Celtic.

Edouard produced many match-winning performances this season and has single-handedly won games for Celtic on several occasions. Against Hamilton Accies, his braced secured them a crucial victory as they made a comeback. He has been instrumental this season and has been improving each day.

The Frenchman is their main striker and has featured regularly under Lennon. He is a valuable asset to the team and his loss would affect the team in several ways. Therefore, keeping hold of him would be a wise decision by the club.

Read more

• Why Leicester City must make a move for Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer
• Why Celtic must plot a summer swoop for Motherwell’s David Turnbull
• Why Celtic should part ways with Craig Gordon in the summer

Verdict

Edouard’s form sows he still has a lot more to offer and he is just 22. He can be their future and has all the abilities to develop himself into a world-class striker. This is evident from his goalscoring prowess at the club. Therefore, at any cost, Celtic should hand him a new deal and block his exit.