Reports this morning offer perhaps a bit of insight into why Celtic and Brendan Rodgers have had to deny not once, not twice, but three times in the past four days the stories of Chelsea buying goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are willing to offer wages of £50,000 per week to the 34-year-old Celtic first-choice, so even though he would give up that first-choice status to Thibaut Courtois, he’d stand to make more then four times what he’s currently making at Celtic (£12k per week, according to the same report).
According to the Daily Record, Celtic are countering with a £25k per week offer to try to appease and help convince Gordon to stay.
Chelsea have made at least two bids for the Scottish international, who ten years ago was the most expensive goalkeeper ever acquired by a Premier League team when Sunderland paid £9m for his services to Hearts. Injuries eventually forced him into early retirement in 2012 but he returned two years later and has been with Celtic ever since.
Gordon appears to be Chelsea’s primary choice to replace Asmir Begović, who’s made no secret of his desire to leave in search of playing time, even if it means missing out on a Premier League winners medal. If no materializes in the next 12 or so hours, Begović will of course stay and remain the backup for this season at Chelsea.