Why Celtic should hold on to Odsonne Edouard amidst interest from Lyon

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard is the subject of interest from French giants Lyon, with the report claiming that the Ligue 1 outfit are keeping close tabs on the centre-forward. 

The 21-year-old Frenchman starred for France U-21s during the recent international break and Lyon are ready to pursue an interest in the youngster following his impressive performances for the Les Blues’ starlets, which earned him plenty of plaudits from the local media. (h/t Scottish Sun)

If Lyon do go ahead with their interest in Edouard and complete a deal for the striker in January or next summer, it would be their second raid on Celtic in successive seasons, having already snapped up Moussa Dembele from Parkhead last year. 

Edouard, who joined Celtic permanently for a club-record fee of £9 million from PSG last summer on the back of a successful loan spell, has established himself as a firm fan favourite at Parkhead and most recently scored in the 2-0 victory over Old Firm rivals Rangers heading into the international break. 

The 21-year-old took over the reins brilliantly from Dembele and was one of the key driving forces behind Celtic’s accomplishment of the ‘Treble treble’ feat last season, where he netted as many as 23 goals in all competitions. 

And the Frenchman has already hit the ground running this term as well, finding the net on 6 occasions and assisting a further 5 in 11 appearances across all competitions.

Edouard played a key role in the Hoops’ European qualification campaign earlier in the summer and has already made a massive impact once again on the domestic front.

With the transfer window now closed, Celtic do not have much to worry about Lyon’s interest in their star striker but the Hoops will probably need to brace themselves for approaches from several clubs for the 21-year-old’s services in the near future if he continues his rich vein of form.

To put things into perspective, a move to Lyon would certainly be a step in the right direction as far as Edouard is concerned for a number of reasons. 

Not only would such a move offer him a return to his homeland with one of the highly-esteemed clubs, but better prospects of playing in the Champions League and challenging for silverware in a more intense atmosphere should also appeal to the youngster.   

Plus, playing in Ligue 1, which is regarded as one of the top-five elite leagues in Europe, would give him a better chance of staking a claim for a role in France’s senior international setup.

Celtic, though, should do everything in their power to keep the potential suitors at bay, given that Edouard remains central to their hopes of continuing their unrivalled dominance in Scottish football. 

With three years still left to run on his current contract at Parkhead, the Hoops would certainly be within their rights to slap a huge price tag on his head in a bid to ward off interest from the potential suitors but, in reality, they might have to do a lot more to keep him at the club for the longer term. 

If Celtic enjoy the same kind of success on all domestic fronts this season as they did so emphatically the last time around and complete yet another treble, then the prospect of ten-in-a-row and a fifth consecutive treble next term, coupled with a potential club-legend status, might just convince Edouard to stay put for another campaign. 

Also, Celtic’s exploits in Europe this season might go a long way towards deciding the future of Edouard, who would undoubtedly want to make a big impression in the Europa League to raise his stocks. 

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To sum it up, the ultimate opportunist in front of goal is an indispensable asset to Celtic and one they just cannot afford to lose.