Last month we got a real lift just before the cup final when Tom Rogic signed a contract to extend his time at the club. It was one of those beautiful, unexpected, moments which lifts your mood and puts a smile on your face for the days to come.
It was superb, a piece of pure theatre which is the sort of thing we excel at now at Celtic Park.
I remember thinking, at the time, “this strengthens our hand when it comes to other negotiations,” and it was a jarring thought. Was I right, or was that just the first piece of nonsense that popped into my head? And so I gave it a little more consideration later on … and I was right the first time, because when it comes to one particular deal it does.
Stuart Armstrong has a big decision to make this summer, and I understand that Celtic are rather relaxed about the conclusion he reaches. They won’t predict whether he’ll stay or go either way, but we are well covered in the eventuality he decides to head for pastures new.
Rogic’s signing convinces him that the grass won’t necessarily be greener elsewhere … some things, after all, are worth more than money and it must be clear to everyone at Parkhead that Brendan is building something to last, something pretty special.
But what’s also clear, and what the Rogic signing – and the form of Ntcham and McGregor – accomplishes, in addition to that, is that it makes it clear to Armstrong that whilst he’s wanted he’s not necessarily needed … and that our contract offers reflect that.
Stuart Armstrong will be financially secure, no matter what decision he makes. But he knows and so do we that he’ll earn more money in England, and if that’s what he wants there’s really nothing we can do to stand in his way, and nor should we.
It’s club policy now, after all.
But he can forget a move to a side with our exposure or the prospect of European football at the highest level.
The two clubs who are supposedly interested in him today are Southampton and Crystal Palace … and he should be well aware that whilst the big money will be on offer there, if he leaves there are no open-top bus rides where he’s going.
Stuart has been made a number of offers by Celtic already.
I suspect he wants to stay, if something can be worked out that he’s comfortable with. But we are well covered in the middle of the park, and whilst I’d very much like to see him commit his long term future to us and be part of it, this is one that I’d be fine with either way, and I say that a big fan.
Celtic does not have someone waiting by the phone for his acceptance, but nor are we going to push him out the door. But if he’s not going to commit to us then there is no way we’ll wait for his contract to expire and risk losing a multi-million player for free.
Armstrong’s future at Celtic Park will now be resolved in one of two ways; either he’ll be here for years to come, or his time left in the squad can be measured in weeks. We’ll know soon enough, but this is one saga that’s just about run its course.