A few weeks ago, whilst I was in Dublin, the first whispers were starting about Ryan Fraser being linked with the club. I think I wrote about it at the time. It’s a move that made nothing but good sense and it hadn’t surprised me one bit to read about it.
The story has now grown legs, especially with the player being effectively frozen out in Geordie Land this season with the club not even offering him a squad number. Safe to say that he will definitely be moving on. That is what has sparked this new wave of stories.
For it to happen, Ryan Fraser would need to accept a gigantic cut in his current salary.
Newcastle would not be difficult to deal with on a fee, but the chances are that they would have to continue paying a percentage of his wages, or pay him off in some manner, as it still has almost two years left to run on it. This is not uncommon in deals taking players from English clubs; they agree this as part of the deal, or they pay the player a lump sum based on it.
Newcastle can easily afford to do that.
Stil, Fraser would have to come to an agreement with them over what that would be and how it would be paid. Celtic would not offer him anywhere near his current salary level. So yeah, there’s work to be done.
But the deal would be sensible from Celtic’s point of view.
This is a guy with extensive experience in the EPL, he plays on the side of the pitch where we need some badly, he is at the age where he isn’t thinking any longer about his next big move and he is versatile and a very good footballer. These are all plus points along with one other; he is Scottish and home-grown at Aberdeen, and thus ticks the Champions League registration box for us.
There is just no way that’s not a consideration here.
Because it’s a big one, as this site has pointed out over and over again.
Whatever else we do with this team, those rules are a fact of football life which we cannot ignore.
Whatever else we do with this team, eight of its players need to be produced right here at home, and if you don’t think the club cares when it can just name youth players and call it quits you’ve missed the rehabilitation of David Turnbull and yesterday’s comments from Brendan Rodgers about Stephen Welsh.
The manager gets it and he’s thinking about it a lot.
There will be talk from some quarters about this being an unambitious and uninspiring sort of deal; Celtic, fortunately, will have other considerations in mind than what a handful of hacks might say.
If the Ibrox club was bringing in this guy, with his experience, they would be over the moon and we all know it.
If Rodgers decides to make the move – and he doubtless knows Fraser’s qualities – then it would not be difficult to sell most of our fans on the idea. I for one would welcome it as smart business in every way … if the price was right.
Not just hacks who find it uninspiring. Cost a great deal of money. Has not played in a considerable amount of time. Didn’t we learn anything from the McCarthy fiasco?
Think a loan deal would be the best outcome all round with an option to buy.
Totally agree James, that this 8 Scottish players is going to be an ongoing issue for the club to resolve, and beyond just this season also.
Our younger talents are far to easily poached these days, especially when Scottish football hardly offers a good pathway for development for the younger players still imo?
So therefore we could remain within the market of looking at Scottish players with higher experience to combat the European rule in place for CL.
Wouldn’t be a huge fan of the prospect myself, but fail to see any other real solution to the problem either.
Fraser ticks the boxes in that regard, and also in a position where our options remain fairly limited currently.
Still can’t help thinking it would be regarded as a down grade upon Jota, so a potential risky move by the club all the same, moreso than the wages involved.
A loan would be a simpler solution to a problem that exists within the squad and wouldn’t have to many issues if a deal could be sought, regardless how sceptical I remain about it at present
A return to Bournemouth is more likely, and should we manage to pull the deal off Heevins and his like would no doubt pick fault in the deal.
I oscillate between thinking this is a great use and an awful one… for every successful career resurrection we do from England there is a lamentable failure staring back from the mirror too. Every Joe Hart has a Martin Hayes. Every Ramon Vega has a Shane Duffy. Every McAvennie has an Ajeti and so on.
This lad is talented but he is renowned for lacking commitment to the cause a lot of the time. Bournemouth made him but his self-interest prevented him extending his contract in their hour of need, and Eddie Howe never forgave him. He used him at Newcastle when it was all hands to the pump, but dropped him as soon as he could get someone – probably anyone – else.
I doubt Ange would recruit someone like that. Brendan might though…
Really starting to doubt Rodgers. This has disaster written all over it. 2 goals in 53 appearances for Newcastle. Not exactly Jota, is he?
Still no sign of a desperately needed new keeper, a decent left back and a striker.
Wouldn’t play for Bournemouth.
Wouldn’t play for Newcastle.
Wouldn’t play for Scotland.
Just the guy we need in our squad.
Far too lightweight ! – Get some hammer throwers and enforcers of our own to return the serve to Sevco and the rest of The SPFL for what’s coming down the thuggery pipe in our direction – for coming it is – and very little will be done about it, but it could do plenty to results – and not in our favour !
Feels like another McCarthy Fiasco to me as well. We don’t need ageing Premiership peripheral players. Freddy Lunberg , Ian Wright, Dion Dublin come on this is surely not for us. Plus we have wingers enough for now …. Yang looks good. We instead need LB CH(hopefully close) DM and CF all with power and physicality. To be fair Joe Hart did steady ship for us but we do need a longer term answer in goal.
would not touch fraser with bad money.total waste if we sign him mark my words