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Since the news broke on Tuesday night that Kristoffer Ajer was having a week’s trial at Celtic fans have flurried to the depths of the internet to find out about him.
The 17-year-old midfielder has been scouted by a host of European clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Arsenal and Roma – whom he visited last year for a trial.
Now the Norwegian is at Celtic for a week-long trial at Lennoxtown with the rest of the squad as they prepare for Sunday’s trip to Stranraer for the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.
His agent, Tore Pedersen has cooled talks of a permanent deal, despite a flurry of rumours that he could move to Celtic for a little as £500,000.
As quoted by the Daily Record, Pedersen said:
He will be working out for one week. There is nothing more to say for the moment.
I will not comment on a transaction. It is not appropriate.
Kristoffer will look at them and Celtic look at him.
There is little that that should break up Kristoffer’s everyday life to get him tested now.
His current club, IK Start are currently faced with financial difficulty and could be forced to sell Ajer, whose contract runs out at the end of this year.
Ajer captained his current club at just 16-years of age and has 47 appearances, including 13 goals and five assists to date for the Tippeligaen side.
Club director Even Brandsdal has conceded that Ajer will move on at some stage, and it could be as early as this month.
Although he would expect to be compensated, saying:
Ajer should get acquainted with the team and they are very familiar with him.
This is something he wanted and we think it’s okay. We are calm about it.
What happens at the end of this, we don’t know. We exclude nothing.
Naturally, we would want to be compensated on the day when he eventually does go and it can happen to him in this window.