Pundit Kevin Campbell believes Newcastle United will win the race to sign Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer this summer, as reported by Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Newcastle’s interest; Ajer’s comments
The Magpies were first linked with a move for Ajer back in March, where they were thought to be preparing an £8m bid.
Reports at the end of May went as far as saying a transfer was close in a fee worth £6m, but as we know, there has been no confirmation as of yet from either club.
Ajer, who can play as a centre-back or as a right-back, confirmed last weekend he wanted to leave Parkhead this summer. He has just 12 months on his Hoops deal and would like to join a top-five league.
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The Latest: Campbell reacts
Campbell, who has appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider about Ajer and a possible move to Newcastle, to which he said:
“That is going to happen.
“The lure of Newcastle, who are a big club, is going to be a bit too strong I think. Ajer, like the majority of players out there, wants to play in the Premier League. It is a big draw.
“I am pretty sure that one is going to happen. From what I hear from people in the game, he has made his intentions quite clear.”
The Verdict: Should be of interest to Postecoglou
Campbell is clearly confident Ajer is heading to St James’ Park, and that should be of interest to new Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou.
The 55-year-old was announced as Neil Lennon’s successor on Thursday morning, and if Ajer departs for Newcastle, that will leave him with just Stephen Welsh as the only fit senior centre-back due to Christopher Jullien’s injury.
Postecoglou, who will assess targets during his 10-day isolation period, may well want to act fast in the transfer window when it comes to signings, and he may well need more than one central defender if Campbell’s claims come to fruition.
Going into the European qualifiers with just one fit senior centre-back would potentially be a disaster, so this is one deal Postecoglou will surely be keeping a very close eye on.
In other news: Postecoglou makes Celtic U-turn on key decision, find out more here.