Contract updates on Alex Valle, Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor

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The Celtic Star

·9 novembre 2024

Contract updates on Alex Valle, Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor

Brendan Rodgers spoke about Alistair Johnson and Greg Taylor’s contract situations in his media conference in the media room at Lennoxtown yesterday afternoon…

Before that he was outside speaking to Sky Sports where the Celtic manager addressed the press rumours this week that Alex Valle was about to be recalled by Barcelona after catching their eye with his impressive showing in the Hoops.

🍀 "There's a glow around everyone..." Brendan Rodgers on what Celtic's #UCL win vs RB Leipzig has done at the club, and his weekend hopes for Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers 📺 Kilmarnock vs Celtic, live on Sky. Sun KO 3pm.
– venerdì 8 novembre 2024

The Alex Valle rumours

On Valle heading back to Barcelona in January, Brendan confirmed that this ‘news’ hadn’t reached his desk yet. “It’s not something that I’m aware of and nobody has told me anything different. I suppose we’re getting close to the stage where rumours, gossip and everything kicks in.

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“But I know that Alex has really enjoyed his time here and both on and off the pitch, he’s obviously a very important player for us. We wouldn’t want to lose him. I think the experience he’s getting here – both in the Champions League and domestic football – he’s really enjoying his time here.”

Alex Valle, Daizen Meada and Reo Hatate at the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, Celtic against Aberdeen. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

Putting two and two together and coming up with a different number to four is nothing unusual in media reporting surrounding Celtic. It’s easy to follow this logic, Valle is doing very well for Celtic, performing at the highest level in the Champions League, so a recall might be on the cards.

Equally the same logic could lead to a story that his impressive form is such that Celtic are committed to buying the player who might prefer first team football at Celtic – where he could easily be the first pick (referencing uncertainty over Greg Taylor’s contract stalemate with the club).

You could add that Valle signed a one year extension at Barcelona, protecting the Catalonian club’s position while allowing a year’s development under Brendan Rodgers, and that it was the player who opted out of Celtic getting a buy clause in the deal. Valle has a low buy clause in his deal, making him very much within Celtic’s price range – should the player wish to sign permanently. Barcelona are unlikely to want to hold onto a player who wants to leave.

Alex Valle of Celtic runs with the ball under pressure from Graeme Shinnie of Aberdeen during the Premier Sports Cup Semi-Final match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Hampden Park on November 02, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

But they didn’t write that. As Brendan said Alex Valle is enjoying his time on and off the park this season and there’s a possibility that he’ll want to stay longer than this season. Best to leave that to Brendan to sort, but of course the sites reporting on this earlier in the week have had their clicks.

Alistair Johnston’s New Deal Update

Alastair Johnston of Celtic celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Dundee FC at Celtic Park on October 30, 2024 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

On the report this week about Alistair Johnston being set to sign a new deal, which Brendan pointed out was essentially the same as the one from about six weeks ago, the Celtic manager said in his media conference, which was attended by The Celtic Star: “There’s nothing I can add to that. I’ve seen something on that basis probably four or six weeks ago as well. So nothing to add. He’s clearly a player, of course, we’d want to tie down and he’s absolutely a fantastic guy to work with, both on and off the pitch. So hopefully, in the future, that can be the case.”

Who will blink first? Greg Taylor or Michael Nicholson

And on Greg Taylor, there seems to have been no change to the stalemate with time running out as he is free to talk to other clubs in January. The issue as we understand it is that Taylor came in from Kilmarnock and his salary level is well below other top earners at the club (Calmac, CCV etc). Greg Taylor wants parity with the players in that category, Celtic see that as a bridge to far financially. There needs to be a meeting place on numbers somewhere in between or Taylor could end up down south in the Championship.

Celtic v RB Leipzig, 05 11 2024, Celtic Park, , UEFA Champions League, Matchday 4 , Celtic Glasgow vs RB Leipzig Greg Taylor and Cameron Carter Vickers. Photo Imago (The Celtic Star)

Brendan, asked about Greg Taylor’s contract situation as a follow-up to the question on Alistair Johnston, had this to say: “Nothing as of yet. Again, a similar message. You see his importance to our game the other night. I think the possibility of having two quality players in each position, I think that’s what you see in the game the other night. We play Alex (Valle) in the semi-final and he does fantastically well.

“Tuesday night was a different game, I felt, and what we wanted from the game. So I can bring then Greg in and you see the level that he played at, how clean he was, how bright he was, how well he defended, how well he attacked. So he’s clearly obviously someone I see as a big part of what we’re looking to continue here and I hope over the coming months that we can do that.”

Greg Taylor at the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, Celtic against Aberdeen. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

Asked if there’s not a fear that Greg Taylor could start speaking to other clubs in a few months and if there’s a desire to get him nailed down to a new deal at Celtic, Brendan expanded on the insight to the situation.

“Well, hopefully, yes, because there does come a point where both sides, we have to understand what we’re thinking, because if it’s not going to happen, then OK, we know that. We can then plan and prepare going forward.

“But I really hope it doesn’t get to that because I love working with Greg Taylor. He’s played, what, about 186 games here. I can’t tell you how influential he is off the pitch and how good he’s been on the pitch for this club, the consistency and also how we play.

Greg Taylor battles for the ball with Emre Can during the UEFA Champions League match between Borussia Dortmund and Celtic FC at BVB Stadion on October 01, 2024 (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

“Both our full-backs are absolutely critical for us and how we operate, and they have two totally different functions and how they work. Greg is a specialist in what he does for us and you see the flow of the team.

“I watched the game the other night. RB Leipzig pressing us with four players. We’re getting five in our build-up. We’ve got different solutions to get through. He’s a massive part of that. So, I really hope that we can do something.

“Plus, I really, really like him. He’s such a good guy. He loves being here. He’s a big voice in the changing room. Every single day in training, he’s so good. He’s focused. He’s just married. He’ll be a father later on in the year as well. So, we want him to really settle down and get everything ready for him. I just want to continue working with him for as long as I possibly can.”

Celtic v Hearts. Scottish Premiership 14/09/2024. Greg Taylor of Celtic on 14 September 2024. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie/PSI

Taylor’s problem is that there has never been a big re-sale potential as has been the case with many of the other players given new and improved deals. He has found a specialist position in the way Celtic plays but how many other sides can you think of that uses their left back in this way?

The reality is that Taylor is not in that top bracket, nor is he is in the back-up category of players like Anthony Ralston, Steven Welsh, Scott Bain etc. He is probably earning similar wages to these players but the expectations don’t fit with reality to jump to the top of the wages table. The sensible thing is for Celtic to put forward their best offer for consideration and then hopefully get the deal done.

If not as Brendan said there’s some time to organise a replacement. That would please some but would essentially be a set-back for the Celtic manager who wants to retain the player.