Celtic braced for bid from Prem side ready to upgrade clear area of need

Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard Celtic

Brighton will reinvest some of the funds they are due to receive from the sale of Ben White to Arsenal into a bid for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, according to reports.

While they are about to lose one key man at one end of the pitch, they are also seeking to strengthen at the other. Graham Potter’s side created plenty of chances last season, but only five teams scored fewer goals than them in the Premier League. No player reached double figures for them, showing an obvious area to improve.

The imminent sale of White to Arsenal for £50m should give them funds to replenish several areas of their squad. They will likely need to find a replacement for the England international, but clearly require a centre-forward as well.

In that regard, the Daily Express claim they will make a move for Celtic’s Edouard after registering their interest in the Frenchman.

Edouard is in the final year of his contract at Celtic, where he has expressed a desire to leave. The Scottish giants will likely have to cash in on their top scorer from each of the last three seasons.

In the 2020-21 campaign, Edouard netted 22 goals in all competitions, despite Celtic failing to retain the title. His ability to score regularly even when his team weren’t performing as they should perhaps indicates he is exactly what Brighton need.

A move to the Premier League has seemed likely for some time for Edouard. Leicester considered reuniting him with Brendan Rodgers, before opting for Patson Daka instead. There have also been links with Liverpool, West Ham and Arsenal.

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But Brighton will soon be strengthened financially when the sale of White goes through, meaning they can easily compete for his signature.

Celtic turned down a proposal that would have added up to £18m from Leicester earlier in the summer. Hence, Brighton would have to spend more than that – but they are keen not to go too far.

The selling club, meanwhile, do not want to let him go too cheaply. Therefore, they must find a middle ground. If they cannot, Edouard would be willing to see out the last year of his contract and move elsewhere on a free transfer in 2022.

Whether Celtic can qualify for the group stage of the Champions League may have an impact on Edouard’s valuation. Should they fail to progress past the qualifying rounds, they may not be able to command such a high sum.

Brighton monitoring Juventus defender

Meanwhile, as they look to fill the void that White will leave, Brighton are set to take a long-term view.

Reports last week suggested they would battle with South Coast rivals Southampton for the signing of a teenager currently among the ranks of Juventus.

Still in their under-19 setup (the highest youth bracket in Italian club football), the defender in question would be one for the future…

READ MOREBrighton, Southampton vie for ‘gifted’ Juventus defender at bargain price