Former Scotland striker Kris Boyd believes that Celtic attacker Odsonne Edouard could earn a move to a leading European club given his form at Parkhead, saying that the 21-year-old striker could “go right to the top” whenever he leaves Glasgow and make the move directly to one of the continent’s big hitters instead of using his next club as a stepping stone.
Speaking about Edouard to Sky Sports [via Daily Record], Boyd remarked: “He oozes class, I think he is a fantastic forward. I wouldn’t be surprised, if someone offers big money, he ain’t going to want to stay around forever.
“Rangers and Celtic are massive football clubs, but like it or lump it, they are selling clubs, and if they get the right type of player, who can shine in Europe, they are selling clubs to the bigger clubs in Europe. Even with [Alfredo] Morelos and Edouard, Kieran Tierney might have changed it but if you look at the Arsenal situation now, I don’t think he’s gone to a top team.
“When you take the likes of Virgil van Dijk, who have left Scottish football, and have to go and then prove themselves again before getting that next move. For me, with Odsonne Edouard, one of the big teams should come and get him and cut out the middle man. I think there is someone there who can go right to the top.”
Boyd’s belief that Edouard may be tempted away from Celtic by a “big money” move is quite reasonable given some of the players that he has cited. Tierney made a £25m move to Arsenal last summer (as per BBC), while Van Dijk left for Southampton in a £13m deal five years ago (as per BBC). Also, Edouard’s fellow French forward Moussa Dembele swapped Celtic for Lyon in a deal worth £19.7m (as per BBC) in August 2018. The case studies of ex-Hoops players moving on to clubs in the English Premier League or Champions League are numerous.
Indeed, Edouard has already seemed to attract several such suitors. Leicester, who currently sit third in the Premier League, have recently identified him as a transfer target (as per Daily Record), while three clubs in the Champions League last 16 have had their named linked with him in recent months – Lyon were claimed to be keeping tabs on the 21-year-old [via Football Insider], while Napoli had been prepared to pay £30m for his services [via Daily Mail] and Borussia Dortmund dispatched scouts to watch him [as per Sky.de‘s Man Bielefeld, via Sport Witness).
Edouard has scored 16 goals so far this season in 31 matches (0.52 per game) and has 49 goals from his 112 Celtic appearances to date (0.44 per game). In Dembele’s final full season at Celtic in 2017/18, he scored 16 goals in 39 matches (0.41 per game) and ended his time at the club with 51 goals in 94 appearances (0.54 per game). Edouard’s ratio this season is better than the Lyon striker during his final year at Parkhead and only marginally behind Dembele’s total Hoops strike rate.
Therefore, Boyd’s suggestion that the 21-year-old Celtic striker could go straight to a big name in the Champions League is far from unthinkable, given the form Edouard has shown in recent months and the calibre of interest that he already seems to be attracting.
Celtic fans, what do you make of Boyd’s remarks on Edouard possibly getting a big-money move away from Parkhead? Have your say by commenting below!
