Brighton have made a £18 million transfer offer for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, per reports.
What's the latest transfer news involving Odsonne Edouard?
That is according to The Daily Record who claim the Seagulls are huge admirers of the Frenchman but face a battle with Southampton to bring him to the Amex Stadium this summer.
Edouard has been subject to repeated Premier League interest over the past few years after quickly establishing himself as a first-team regular starter at Parkhead.
After a shaky start, the French striker finished the season strongly, scoring 18 goals in 25 league games for Celtic in 2020-2021, breaking the France U-21 record for the most goals scored by a player in their history.
The 23-year-old also had three assists to his name, helping Neil Lennon's side to a second-place finish in the Scottish Premiership.
What has Michael Gannon said about Edouard?
So it should come as no surprise then that new manager Ange Postecoglou is reluctant to let the player leave at this stage.
However, it may not be up to him in the end, according to Daily Record columnist Michael Gannon, who believes it's just a matter of when, not if.
"We know he is leaving. There was talk that he could leave after Celtic lost in the Champions League qualifier but nothing has been announced since then on the matter. We heard it was happening earlier this week but have not heard much since," he told Sussex Live.
"He would not be on ridiculous money, maybe £25,000-a-week, plus bonuses. So in Premier League terms, that is not ridiculous money. I know Brighton are not the biggest of payers but that is still well within their wage limit.
"The problem with a fee is that Celtic have a 40% sell-on with Paris Saint-Germain. They bought him for £9 million in 2018. Around 18 months ago, he was linked with £30-40 million deals.
"But he has had a difficult past 12 months and is in the last year of his contract as well. Celtic will try to get as much as they can but the sell-on clause is likely to make them want to push up the price.
"If they get £18-20 million, I think they will bite a team's hand off for that. So it seems like a deal has to happen very soon."
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Where would Edouard's potential exit leave Celtic?
Celtic will know they face an almighty task if they are to wrestle the trophy from the grasp of their arch-rivals Rangers.
Losing 83-goal striker Edouard would be a serious blow to their chances, with his goals virtually bordering on the irreplaceable, posing the question as to whether the board will be able to find a suitable replacement before the transfer window shuts.
Edouard's total of 22 goals is in fact more than the other strikers in the squad combined, with the hauls of Albian Ajeti and Leigh Griffiths still some nine goals short of his impressive tally.
With that being said, if they cannot convince the contract rebel to stay, then they may as well cash in and sell him to the highest bidder. Getting his £19,000-a-week wages off the books wouldn't be a bad idea as well.
Who could replace Edouard at Parkhead?
In anticipation of a possible move, Celtic have renewed their interest in Hibernian and Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet, as first reported by The Daily Mail.
They are also monitoring the availability of long-term targets Alberth Elis and Mbaye Niang, according to reports.
Nisbet has a proven track record in the Premiership with 14 goals in 34 league games for Hibs, and at 24, he is only a year older than Edouard, so would be a sensible option.
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