Leicester City are believed to have won the race for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, with a deal set to be announced once the Hoops appoint their new manager.
Edouard has long been linked with an exit from Parkhead and Leicester always seemed like a likely landing spot for the coveted hitman. They are in need of a long-term replacement for Jamie Vardy, and Edouard has strong ties with Brendan Rodgers, who brought him to the UK in 2017.
Arsenal and Milan were both tipped to provide competition but it is now being reported by The Times that Leicester have reached an agreement with Celtic to bring him to the Premier League.
The transfer will set Leicester back around £15m, which is a disappointingly low return from Celtic, who had hoped to achieve a club-record fee north of the £25m Arsenal paid for Kieran Tierney in 2019.
The Hoops have no choice but to sell for a reduced price, however; Edouard is out of contract in 2022 and they risk losing him for free if they play hardball over a potential deal this summer.
Widely varying reports have suggested PSG stand to pocket anything between 25-50% of the fee due to a sell-on clause. But the Daily Record report that PSG will take home 50% of the profit Celtic make, not the fee itself.
In other words, if he is sold for £15m as is being reported, then Celtic will bank £12m - the £9m they paid for him plus £3m - with the remainder going to PSG.
As for Leicester, they are getting one of the most exciting talents in Scottish football for a very modest price. Edouard has netted 83 goals in 168 appearances since arriving in Glasgow, and scored 22 times last season despite the Hoops' noted struggles in the Scottish Premiership.
It's expected the deal will be announced shortly after Celtic get the green light to appoint Ange Postecoglou as manager. They are awaiting UEFA approval for the Australian to take over, as he lacks the Pro License normally required to coach in the Champions League.
But they expect UEFA to grant them an exemption, due to Postecoglou's extensive experience coaching at club and international level.
Source : 90min