Scottish Premiership champions Celtic have failed with an opening proposal of £4 million plus add-ons for Norwich City striker Adam Idah, who is valued nearly twice that much.
Adam Idah joined Celtic on loan during the January transfer window and quickly made a mark, proving to be a huge success in the green and white Hoops.
The quick centre-forward scored nine goals in 19 games. However, it was the timing and importance of many of those strikes that cemented Idah’s place as Glasgow’s favourite.
Without his stoppage-time goals against Hibernian and Motherwell in the league, as well as against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final, Brendan Rodgers’ side’s double-winning season may have turned into a rare trophyless one.
Celtic are now aiming to reach an agreement that will bring Idah back to Scotland on a full-time basis.
HITC stated in June that Norwich was looking to raise roughly £8 million. That is twice as much as Celtic’s initial bid, which is said to be worth £4 million with add-ons.
The good news for Rodgers, however, is that Norwich are willing to sell at the right price.
Ben Knapper, the Canaries’ sports director, has indicated that the club might contemplate exits after selling Max Aarons, Andrew Omobamidele, Emi Buendia, Ben Godfrey, and Jamal Lewis for large payments in past transfer windows.
“There’s always pressure on us here (to sell) because that’s our model,” Knapper explains to the Pink Un. “Whether we have to (sell) or we don’t, we want to and that’s what we define as success as well.
“Of course, we always want to build a team that can win games and get promotion. That’s always going to be the ambition. But as well as doing that, in order to be sustainable we have to try (and raise funds via selling players).
“So we put pressure on ourselves to do that. Every summer is no different in that respect.”
Norwich’s new head coach, Johannes Hoff Thorup, is eager to see Idah in action during the preseason. The man taking over for David Wagner in the Carrow Road dugout believes it would be’stupid’ to make a decision on the Cork-born frontman this early in his reign.
However, if Celtic are willing to pay closer to Norwich’s £8 million asking price, Thorup’s decision may be taken away.
“The board know how I feel on Adam. That was the reason for bringing him in,” Rodgers told The Independent after Idah pounced on Jack Butland’s error to claim a dramatic victory over neighbours Rangers at Hampden Park. “He’s been a real catalyst for us, especially over the last few months.
“He has all the attributes. He’s fast, dynamic, strong. And I felt, with better positioning, he’d get goals. What he’s done since coming in is show that he’s a goalscorer. He gets different types of goals.
“He has great movement in the box and he deals with pressure moments. (In the cup fina) he was like a real number nine sniffing in and around the box.
“He’s been absolutely immense for us and he’s clearly someone I’d like to do something with. I’ve seen development in him and that’s what the game’s about – players improving. I just know with Adam that he’s got such a high ceiling.”
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