Exclusive: Bournemouth pushing to agree new contract with Celtic target after Rodgers interest emerges
Bournemouth duo Dominic Solanke and Ryan Christie
Bournemouth are keen to tie down some of their best talents as the new owners try to help build a squad capable of pushing up the Premier League table.
One player who is coming to the end of his contract is attacking midfielder Ryan Christie, with his current terms set to expire in the summer of 2024. The Cherries begun conversations to extend his deal near the end of the summer transfer window and are now pushing to complete the business, sources have told TEAMtalk.
The Scotland international is happy at the club and TEAMtalk understands talks have been positive between both parties. However, there is interest in Christie, and a return to Scotland could even be possible with those close to the player stating Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is a huge fan of his.
It’s unlikely that he will be heading back north of the border though, as the 28-year-old has become a key figure for his side, starting all of their league matches so far this season. Andoni Iraola is eager to see one of his key players stay at the club and has been championing the new deal.
The Bournemouth owners are keen to bring down the average age of the squad and recruitment is focused on young players they can use to either build a future with or sell on for value, similar to fellow American owner Todd Boehly at Chelsea.
Former Celtic man Christie is one of the lowest paid players in the squad despite his importance and that has been an issue of contention during talks. Christie earns around £22,000 per week, which is far less than the likes of Tyler Adams, who takes home £60k a week.
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Talks are pushing on and the relegation candidates are hopeful it will be agreed soon, even though any deal will see Christie receive a big wage rise. Christie signed from Celtic in the summer of 2021 for the small fee of £2.5million. His value has risen hugely since then and he would likely bring in £15-20m for Bournemouth today.
The Inverness-born playmaker is represented by the brother of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tyler, who is one of the main players at the PLG agency. They have gone on to sign up a lot of top Scottish talent including Aaron Hickey and Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson.
Christie’s representatives are in direct communication with Bournemouth and talks have ramped up over the last few weeks as they try to tie Christie down before January. If a deal is not agreed before 2024, then the 40-cap international will be free to speak with other clubs about a potential Bosman move at the end of the season.
