Celtic FC opinion: Hoops should hold onto Tom Rogic at all costs
According to Football Scotland, Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic is the subject of a £9million bid from Russian champions Zenit St.Petersburg, who are currently in the market for a new central midfielder, following the departure of Claudio Marchisio.
Football Scotland understands that Rogic has been on the radar of Zenit ever since the Australian international impressed for Celtic against the Russian giants in the Europa League meeting back in February 2018.
Rogic, who has also attracted interest from an unnamed Premier League club, is valued at £15million by Celtic and the Scottish champions are unlikely to budge on their valuation of the midfielder, given that he recently penned a new contract until the summer of 2023.
The 26-year-old, who was signed by Neil Lennon from A-league club Central Coast Mariners during his first stint as the manager at Parkhead, has established himself as a firm fan favourite at the club over the years.
Rogic is undoubtedly a hugely popular figure amongst the Celtic fans and his contribution to the club’s domestic dominance in recent times has been acknowledged widely by the supporters all around the globe.
Rogic didn’t play a significant role last season due to his struggles with injuries but the Australian international still managed to contribute with 3 goals and 5 assists in 17 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, as Celtic completed eight in a row over Old Firm rivals Rangers.
He was more involved in the domestic cup competitions and the club’s European campaign, though, making a total of 35 appearances in all competitions.
The 26-year-old’s seven-year spell at Parkhead has been marred by a considerable extent due to repeated injuries, however, he has still managed to carve out a big reputation for himself as one of the best players in Scotland.
Rogic has accumulated an impressive 35 goals and 29 assists in 167 appearances for the Hoops in all competitions, numbers which are certainly eye-watering considering that he has been used in a wide variety of roles in the middle of the park.
To put things into perspective, Tom Rogic’s departure this summer could leave Celtic with a massive void to fill ahead of the upcoming season.
A full-fledged international for Australia, the 26-year-old is performing very much at the peak of his powers and given that he has acclimatised brilliantly to the conditions in Scotland over the years, it hardly makes any sense for the Hoops to cash in on him.
A versatile midfielder who is adept at playing attacking, box-to-box and wide roles in the middle of the park, Rogic is currently one of the most technically-gifted players at the club.
Noted for his ability to change the game with moments of magic, the Australian has pretty much been Celtic’s go-to man in times of desperation over the past three of four campaigns.
He is not only capable of setting up goals with his creativity and technical abilities but he is equally capable of scoring screamers with his absolute wand of a right foot.
Celtic’s unparalleled dominance in Scottish football has reigned supreme in recent times, with the Hoops completing a hat-trick of domestic trebles this past season. However, they need to keep hold of their star players to avoid a rather topsy-turvy transitional phase, which might as well prove fatal to the continuance of their supremacy.
Celtic have someone like Callum McGregor, who is also capable of playing in multiple positions and sparking creativity in the attacking third, whilst Oliver Ntcham is another quality midfielder in their ranks.
However, with the latter being constantly linked with a move away from Parkhead, it is absolutely essential for the Hoops to keep hold of Tom Rogic. In all honesty, they should try their level best to retain his services, irrespective of what the future holds for Ntcham and McGregor.
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Conclusion
Rogic’s patchy injury record, coupled with his reputation of being somewhat of a luxury player, might prompt Celtic to accept an offer for the 26-year-old.
However, they should not forget that he is their X-Factor in the middle of the park and losing him at this point of time could have far-reaching consequences next season.