CELTIC WARNED TO PAY RECORD FEE OF ‘AROUND £10M’ FOR SUMMER DEAL

Adam Idah has made a flying start to life at Celtic and one former England international wonders if the Scottish Premiership challengers may be forced to part with a club-record fee for the Norwich City loanee.

As former Hoops hero Chris Sutton pointed out, Adam Idah had never scored a header in senior football until he bulleted one home from a fine Greg Taylor cross last weekend, setting Brendan Rodgers’ side on their way to a 3-1 comeback win over Motherwell.
Just a few days later, like the proverbial London busses, another came along straight away. Idah maintained his goal-a-game average in Celtic colours during the 7-1 shellacking of Dundee, using his head in every meaning of the phrase.

And Carlton Palmer believes that, due to the combination of Idah’s potential, his form and the long-term nature of his Norwich contract – the 23-year-old is tied down until 2028 at Carrow Road – anyone suggesting that Celtic could strike a permanent deal for a bargain fee is very much mistaken.

Adam Idah cannot stop scoring for Celtic

“It’s a very, very bright start,” Palmer tells Football League World of Idah, who now has five in five in the Scottish Premiership.

“It remains to be seen what the figure will be. But it will be more than the original £3 million that was touted at the start.”

Palmer, once of West Brom, Leeds and Southampton, believes Celtic may rue not agreeing upon a option-to-buy clause before Idah made that deadline day move to Parkhead, with his flying start in Scotland likely to raise his value.

“It’s strange that Celtic didn’t agree a fee for him,” Palmer adds. “For a player of his age and as an international, the fee could be around £10 million, which would be seen as a reasonable fee for a player of his experience and stature.”

How much will Norwich City sell for?
Celtic, who travel to Hearts on Sunday, have never before paid an eight-figure sum for a player. Their current record signing – Odsonne Edouard – joined from PSG for £9 million back in 2018.

Interestingly, the man who took Idah’s place at Norwich – Sydney van Hooijdonk – confirmed this week that he had held talks with Celtic in the previous window.

MORE NEWS ON CELTIC HERE