Leicester City have pulled out of the race to sign Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer this summer, according to Give Me Sport.
The Lowdown: Ajer a man in demand
The 23-year-old has just over 12 months remaining on his Parkhead contract, with reports claiming he is preparing to quit the Hoops over the coming months.
Ajer has been a regular in green and white this season, turning out at both right-back and centre-back in his 44 appearances.
The likes of Newcastle United and Norwich City have been credited with an interest in the player who former loan manager at Kilmarnock Lee Clark described as ‘outstanding’, however, a move to the King Power no longer appears to be on the cards.
The Latest: Rodgers ends Ajer interest
According to Give Me Sport, who were discussing Ajer’s future, ‘Brendan Rodgers has ended Leicester City’s interest’ – seven words that could impact Celtic and their hopes of a bidding war for the Norwegian.
The report claims that Rodgers’ decision has left Celtic in a difficult position, with the Hoops initially hoping to receive £15m for his signature as a result of interest from multiple Premier League sides.
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The Verdict: Could give McKay an issue
This latest update could give new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay a headache.
It seems as if the club were banking on a bidding war for Ajer materialising, but with the Foxes now out of the race, the chances of that happening appear to have taken a hit.
You never know, both Newcastle and Norwich could be desperate for his services and may look to outdo each other to get the Hoops man, but neither of them have the financial capabilities or of course European football to look forward to like Leicester do.
However, with the Foxes no longer in the running, McKay may have to make do with selling Ajer at a cut-price fee. They’re bound to make a profit, though, with the defender joining for just £540,000 back in 2016.
In other news: Ryan Christie transfer update emerges, find out more here.Â
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