Celtic defender Greg Taylor has had his say on the possibility of Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi making his loan move at the club permanent in the summer.  

The Norway international is approaching the end of his second loan spell in Glasgow. He has scored 15 goals and registered six assists in 40 appearances this season, with his standout displays coming against Lille and Motherwell towards the end of 2020.

Recent reports have suggested that the Saints could sell Elyounoussi in the summer to boost their transfer funds, with Ralph Hasenhuttl keen to take a look at the 26-year-old before making a decision.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Taylor admitted that the Celtic dressing room would be happy if Elyounoussi made his Parkhead stay permanent. He said:

“You need to ask Moi and the board what is going to happen. It is certainly not a decision for me.

“But we, obviously, always want to always keep our players. If there is an opportunity further down the line for him to stay at the club, then I’m sure the boys would be happy with that. Moi is a talented boy.

“You don’t move for the money he has in his career without being so talented.”

Transfer Tavern take

Elyounoussi’s Transfermarkt valuation stands at £10.8m and he still has more than two years remaining on his St Mary’s deal. However, reports in February suggested that his price tag could crash to just £5m this summer.

Should that be the case, we see a permanent deal as a no-brainer for the Hoops. Capable of playing on the left, behind the striker or as a centre-forward, Elyounoussi has proven his versatility and quality at Parkhead in what has been a disappointing campaign for the club.

He has averaged a goal or assist every 101 minutes in all competitions, taking his total Celtic tally to 62 appearances, 22 goals and 12 assists.

It seems as if he is approaching the prime of his career at 26, so if a £5m deal is achievable, it could be a smart idea to sign Elyounoussi up on a long-term basis, especially with his teammates seemingly on board with the idea.

In other news: Celtic could make embarrassing loss in Odsonne Edouard transfer, find out more here.