Celtic legend John Hartson has labelled rumours of an £8m bid from Liverpool for winger James Forrest as “laughable”.
Forrest has scored an impressive 16 goals for club and country this season, alerting the attention of Jurgen Klopp who is reportedly interested in the Scottish winger.
Do Liverpool need Forrest? Five things to know…
- A right winger by trade, Forrest has so far spent his entire career with Celtic, playing 326 matches, scoring 66 and registering 67 assists.
- Liverpool already boast an array of attacking talent and it is unlikely Forrest start in Klopp’s current XI.
- The club are short on wingers, with Xherdan Shaqiri the only back-up option to Sadio Mane and Mohamad Salah.
- At £8m, Forrest would be a fantastic acquisition as a rotational option but Hartson believes Liverpool would have to “triple” that bid.
- Forrest scored two goals in the Champions League this season and five in three caps for Scotland in the UEFA Nations League C.
With the Reds currently atop the Premier League table, four points ahead of current holders Manchester City, Klopp may be tempted to explore the market in search of reinforcements, but Hartson has told him to up his offer for Forrest.
“£8m? That might get you his big toe,” Hartson told the Evening Times.
“Aside from the fact that the lad himself has signed a long-term deal with Celtic, the club he has been with since primary school, the money quoted for him is laughable.
“We are not talking about a pup at 16 or 17. We are talking about a boy who has scored goals at international and Champions League level and who has blossomed into a winger who guarantees double-figure goals.”
Hartson believes Liverpool would have to offer at least £24 million to even convince Celtic to entertain transfer negotiations.
He added: “I think what we have seen from Forrest really since Brendan arrived at Celtic is a player who is at the very peak of his game.
“He has been so pivotal to the way that Celtic have played and never once have you heard him agitating for a move.
“There is a suggestion that Forrest will go on to become the most decorated Celtic player of the modern era and that will mean a lot to him too.
“But right now it is little more than chat. If Liverpool or anyone else want him then they will have to have very deep pockets.”
Former Bhoys not impressed
As news broke of Liverpool’s interest in Forrest, Celtic fans and former players alike had their say on the supposed £8m bid the Reds are preparing.
Former club striker Chris Sutton made his feelings abundantly clear…
£8 million hahahahahahahahahahahahaha…. https://t.co/W2MkPY7jBp
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) January 13, 2019
Seen a report that Liverpool are looking at James Forrest from Celtic , cracking wee player and would be a good squad winger at Anfield but he's happy at Celtic playing every week so don't see it happening.
— Col Wilson LFC (@KennyOfTheScots) January 13, 2019
So James forrest to Liverpool let's hope its over 20 million as would take that to replace him the way he has been playing last couple of years.
— david (@duffyfaedenny) January 13, 2019
Would be an insult to Scottish football if Liverpool try to sign James Forrest from Celtic for £8m. #LFC paid £75m for Van Dijk, £66m for Alisson, £53m for Naby Keita, £40m for Fabinho, £35m for Oxlade-Chamberlain. Scotland's league shouldn't be seen as easy pickings.#SPFL
— Barry Anderson (@BarryAnderson_) January 15, 2019
Fair play to Liverpool for going after James Forrest don’t think Salah with be happy having to play back up though…
— Jordan Murphy (@JordanMurphy_25) January 13, 2019
The post Liverpool links to James Forrest met with scorn among ex-Celtic players appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka NewsSquawka News http://bit.ly/2VX4UjI
No comments:
Post a Comment