Well, isn’t that something?
On a day when Sevco is calling a press conference to tout the signing of a 29 year old on a free, Celtic has quietly, unobtrusively, and without fanfare, completed another excellent contract negotiation and can announce that Kristofer Ajer has signed on the dotted line for another four years.
He follows on from Scott Bain at the end of last week and Leigh Griffiths is anticipated to be next.
As I said in an earlier article, the plan at Celtic Park has not changed because of events elsewhere. We are following a path that was set out far in advance of moonbeam appointments at other clubs, and that plan is a solid one and one that keeps our future secure.
Ajer has been one of the stand-out players of this campaign. It took him time to settle at our club, and a loan spell at Kilmarnock was important to his development. But he has excelled since the manager first trusted him at central defence, and in light of some big European sides sniffing around we moved fast to secure him on a long-term deal.
Ajer looks a class act. He will be tested on the bigger stage when we play in the Champions League qualifiers, but there’s no reason to believe he will fail to acquit himself there. He has all the attributes to be a top, top player.
Kristofer is 20 years old and has already been on the books at Celtic Park for three years. We know our business. We scout our young signings extensively. This is why we’ve had such success at finding them. This is what “building for the future” looks like.
Other teams could learn a lot from us … but those who would benefit most from such lessons appear to favour bling and big headlines rather than sustainable development.
Congratulations to Kris on his new deal.
He is already a big favourite with the fans, and he is only going to get better from here on in.
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