Odsonne Edouard

CELTIC want Odsonne Edouard to stay for one more year as they tool up for ten in a row.

But Jorge Cadete reckons the French striker should sign up for another FIVE.

Hoops Player of the Year Edouard has opened talks over a possible 12-month contract extension.

Currently under contract until 2022, that would give him a bump in wages and protect Celtic’s fee.


With major clubs across Europe’s biggest leagues circling for his signature, it would be a huge coup.

Yet Celtic striking great Cadete reckons his old club should go for it and offer him a long-term deal.



And if the Portuguese star was in Edouard’s shoes he’d be signing on the dotted line immediately.

He told SunSport: “What would I do? I would ask for a long-term contract and sign it.


People are talking about one year. Why not five?

“He’s only 22. He won’t reach his peak as a player until 29.

“I know that clubs are interested in Edouard and he will have a lot of options this summer.

“But staying at Celtic is the right thing for him. Next season is a chance to make history.




He is at a great club, with passionate supporters and he could be part of something really special.

“Everyone who has ever played with Celtic knows about ten in a row and what it means


In my time, we were trying to stop Rangers doing it.

“Now Celtic are one more title away from it and I expect Edouard will want to be part of that.

“He will go to a bigger league one day but there is no rush. At 22, he’s still so young.

"There are so many years ahead of him. If he stays at Celtic longer even more clubs will want him.

“For me, it’s the perfect place for him to keep developing as a striker and get regular games.

“At his age, it’s all about learning and picking up experience and he’s doing that at a great club.

“That is the dream for most players at 22 so if I was Edouard I would not be looking to leave.”

Celtic will need to increase the French striker’s wage to seal a longer stay — but Cadete reckons it would be a shrewd investment.


The cost of finding a replacement would be huge and the former Hoops hitman insists rewarding him is only right.

He said: “To get top players, you need to pay top money. That’s how football works.

“Celtic gave Edouard a chance of first-team football and they have been fantastic for him.

“But he’s also brought them a lot of success so I think he deserves a bit extra in wages.

“It would be wise to spend the money like this. It helps the team and it keeps the player happy.

“And if the wage increase leads to ten in a row for Celtic then it will all be worth it.”

Edouard was crowned the SFWA Player of the Year last week — days after winning Celtic’s own award.

Cadete, who spent 18 months at Parkhead in the 1990s, insists he’s by far the best talent in Scotland.



But he joked that the Frenchman is a little bit late in scooping that individual gong.

Cadete said: “To win Player of the Year at 22 is fantastic. But I did it when I was 21 in Portugal!

“No, Edouard is a top striker and I am always happy to see people in that position recognised.

“Sometimes the guy who scores all the goals doesn’t get enough credit. People take it for granted.

“But Edouard deserved all the awards this season because he was excellent for Celtic.

“He scores goals, he has skill, he is quick and he is getting stronger all the time.

“I see him improving as a player and his importance to Celtic this season was clear.



In the big games, he always delivers and that is the sign of a great striker.

“Edouard is also only going to get better. His best years are a long way ahead of him.”

Cadete believes Edouard would give Celtic the edge in the title race as Rangers try to stop them.

Neil Lennon’s side coped far better with the pressure last season and they have been over the distance so many times.

Rangers are desperate to topple the Hoops but Cadete expects his old club to have too much firepower.

He said: “I think — and I hope — that Celtic will win the league.

“I like Edouard and Leigh Griffiths as strikers and if they stay together, it’s a big advantage.

“Neil Lennon knows how to win trophies and guys like Scott Brown have the right mentality.

 

That's plenty Jorge..

 

No way the big man stays... He is too good and our board too money hungry

 

Think the only way we keep him is if Lawell thinks we can get double his price in 1 more year. Ajer and ntcham definitely off regardless so maybe this might help too

 

I think it would be seem piece of business to keep Eddy but really hope we can. If he goes we will be some job replacing him.

If we lost all three then we would really be gambling but it would not surprise me with Pete and the Board. Also if none will sign a contract extension I do expect them to be sold if there is interest.

I get the feeling that there is a feeling between the money men At the club that we missed our opportunity to sell Moussa for more when his stock was high at the end of his first season after scoring 30+ goals including in the CL.

Again this is not what I want to happen but fear it might. I always think this is where loaning players with no option to buy leaves you with challenges the following season. We already need to replace our starting Goalkeeper, probably need options on the left side between LWB and LW and that’s before taking into account any sales.

Eddy would be the hardest one to take out of the three as I think where Ntcham and Ajer are both good players we would be able to replace them, Eddy I am not convinced we will.

 

Totally agree. Keeping eddy would be amazing. However there’s talk of breaking the wage cap etc. Don’t think we should be doing this for anyone because that can snowball across the whole squad and cause loads of issues within the club. Financially without the covid issue we’d be selling one big player. So think with the added pressure that would mean both Ajer and ntcham are both going. I don’t think we made any mistakes in timing (Season wise) of selling dembele; I think the mistake was how it was done via communications between player-agent-manager etc. If we’d sounded out earlier (instead of all these issues) that moussa could be sold we might of got a bigger fee. I also don’t believe he’s got that much better since leaving us in 1 season at Lyon. Then going for 60 million more (if figures are to be believed). We need to work out how we can hold teams to a higher price and get the right value for them. Eddy should be 25-30 100%. Anything less we shouldn’t be considering as like you say, we can replace the other 2 in some way. Don’t think we can replace eddy.

also on loans; I actually believe they’re a good option. If we can get a top class player in for a 2 season loan (even without the option to buy) it is pretty similar to the general cycle of how long a player who performs amazing for us lasts at the club. 2/3 years at most... so in this sense, no transfer fee and we get a top player for that same cycle only paying wages for. Don’t agree on loans for squad filler players tho

 

If KT. a defender, went for 25M, surely Eddy, being a striker is worth way more, both around the same age, still to reach their potential.
Don't reckon Eddy will end up at your Southampton's, mare like a top 8 side.

 

Haha can see eddy going to arsenal if aubameyang is going. No other top side down there desperately needs a striker. Maybe also Lyon if dembele moves on, or Dortmund if haaland is sold

 

On wage structure I think it’s highly unlikely we will break it but making him a top earner should not have too much of a detrimental impact on the squad or doing so through a performance related way. Eddy is easily our best player and I think if anyone in the squad believes otherwise they are kidding themselves. The high probability is it will be one season as well and I know that has risks with injuries or loss of form.

On Dembele I agree, I don’t think many players who have left us in big money moves got much better it is really just about proving themselves in a league that is seen as superior. Wanyama, FF and Van Dijk were already high quality players when they left us, VVD is probably the only one I would say improved and even then I don’t think it was the difference between £13m and £75m.

On loans there are arguments for and against. For it gives a bit of a try before you buy, allows you to get someone who would normally be out of your price range (wages or transfer fee), on some occasions no transfer fee but sometimes you pay a hefty loan fee these days.

Against if you don’t agree a price upfront and they perform well it inflates the price, See FF for example, say he had been on a wage we could have afforded I am sure Southampton would have been
More than happy to agree we could have bought him for £4-5m at the end of the loan when we took him on. They viewed him as a high wage player they had essentially thrown to the scrap heap. They would have probably sold him for less than that if someone could have taken his wage on. Now they are reportedly looking for what we sold him for at his peak. In addition where the plus is no transfer fee upfront you don’t receive anything to help fund a replacement when you lose them, so your back to square one, there is that risk with a buy if a contract runs out. As mentioned in other threads our transfers over the past while have mainly been funded by good sales. Without them we don’t really spend anything.

I guess the answer probably lies in between, where I wouldn’t want us to be overly dependent on loans, the odd one wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Totally agree loans for squad fillers should be a no we should be using our own youths for those roles or if there is no one obvious should be looking to plug the gap in the squad with a signing.

 

Oh yeah definitely agree with all those points, but what I meant by the loans was for example....
if we can get a top class player in like moi, bellamy, Keane, etc. For 2 seasons and only have to pay a wage for them and maybe some small (in comparison to overall cost for that player) loan fee. It is virtually the same as us getting a player in, who performs well (moussa/dembele/van dijk/hooper/wanyama etc.) who are usually only here for 2/3 seasons at max.
We obviously get a transfer fee for them we signed fully leaving.

But I mean although we shouldn’t be relying on loans. Loaning in a player for 2 straight season that’s just signed for a team for 16 mil and we didn’t pay any of that can’t be a bad thing. in terms of our squads cycle of how long a top player is with us anyway, it’s the same.

Think we should aim for two big 2 year loans each year if we can. Benkovic would of been a good one to have for 2 years. If we had him this year too, think we coulda really done something in europe.

if we can’t get a top prospect or current player in for the GK, CB, LW position. I think we should be looking at two top level loans for these positions.

 

I just think that at 22 his value will most likely not increase past this season (unless he has a stormer in Europe) and the board like to sell a player to fund the summer transfers.

 

Again I can’t disagree with any of the above. I think the days of us being able to build a first team that go from strength to strength year on year are hindered by the league we are in and ceiling it puts on us. So we lose most of our best players In 2-3 years.

One issue will be the availability of good players on a 2 year loan unless they are young guys for the future. It’s unlikely clubs will be happy to loan a player for two years running. Like Moi, I am sure Southamptons preference would be to sell him now if he’s not in their plans. Therefore, they would never agree to a 2 year loan upfront.

Benkovic is probably an example where it could have worked.

 

Yeah you’re probably right, hopefully around the top 5 leagues we could find 2 players within this kind of type of player. wonder if we could get benkovic cheaper now after his loan at bristol. My ultimate nightmare this season is that rodgers comes in for mcgregor and we also lose eddy to any team

 

It will almost certainly increase between now and the end of the season, given the financial impact of the pandemic alone.

 

the season has ended for us I mean between 22 and 23 he wont increase in value as he gets older one of the key aspects is age when we sell on

 

Many players increase in value between the ages of 22 and 23.

Édouard's value will inevitably increase between now and the end of the coming season in any case if the market rebounds as expected (it has nosedived as a consequence of the pandemic).

Unless the Club anticipates an insolvency event if it fails to sell Édouard this summer, the incentive to sell him is smaller now than at any point during his Celtic career.

 

If he even maintains the level he played at last season then he shows it's not a flash in the pan and the clubs already circling will be all the more eager.

At times in the Stadio Olimpico he was ripping the * against top-class defenders.

23 is no age for a striker really, plenty good years left out of them at that point. Vardy is 33 and still a 1st pick for the team 3rd in the EPL.

The only thing that may force us to sell this summer is if Eddie isn't keen on signing a new contract as we then could risk a Boyata scenario of him walking out on a free. Lawwell won't allow that.