As the end of the transfer window approaches, could we see the Celtic board being tempted to sell Benjamin Nygren?

Since the start of this season, Benjamin Nygren has been in scintillating form for Celtic.

It’s been night and day in comparison to the player we saw last season, who despite scoring 21 goals, many people would have considered a player who was a little lazy.

Drifting in and out of games, Nygren would pop up to score a spectacular goal, and then he could disappear again for the rest of a contest.

Even though he scored 21 goals in last season’s campaign, nobody really feared that the board would, or could, sell him.

Nygren looked like a player who there was a lot more to come from.

The thing is, nobody expected to see it emerge so early and so quickly in the new season.

His early season form has been nothing, if not spectacular.

His contribution to games has been fantastic in comparison to the player we saw last season.

Once again, the merits of a full pre-season under the leadership of Martin O’Neill and his coaching team are there for all to see.

But with such an increase in skill from a player at a club like Celtic, come certain pitfalls.

People start to sit up and take notice.

It will start within the club, and it won’t take long for interest from outside the club to manifest itself.

Benjamin Nygren’s excellent start to this season will not have gone unnoticed.

Last season, Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres commented on how good Nygren’s contributions were to the Swedish national team.

High praise indeed when it’s coming from an EPL winner who himself had a fantastic season himself for the Gunners on their way to the title.

Which begs the question, are we in danger of seeing Benjamin Nygren being sold before the end of this transfer window?

Now, we know our board would sell any player at the club at the drop of a hat if the right offer came in.

So what happens if a club comes in with a big offer for Nygren before the closure of the window next Tuesday?

Would they ‘boot it out’ like our brave rivals across the city did when a MEGA offer came in for Youssef Chermiti?

I think you know the answer to that question, don’t you?

Tonight in Linz, Nygren once again will be putting himself in the shop window as Celtic compete in Europe’s premier competition.

If he has another excellent game with a goal contribution thrown in there, it is going to result in vultures sniffing around the club for him.

This is unavoidable at Celtic.

You mark my words, people are already taking notice of Camilo Duran’s explosive start to the season too.

But the fact that Nygren has already bagged 21 goals for Celtic in a full season, in addition to the way he has started this season, means that clubs are already aware of his pedigree.

A £20 million plus offer from an EPL club is pocket change down south.

But when it approaches the magic number of £25 million at Celtic, Michael Nicholson might have to have a lie down.

The absent meddling golfer will smell blood, and with every pound a prisoner, I think we all know what comes next.

As Celtic fans, we all have to hope that a serious offer does not materialise between now and next midnight next Tuesday.

In addition to that, do we think the board would run the risk of seriously pissing the fanbase off by sanctioning Nygren’s sale if a serious offer did materialise?

They’ve done most things right in this transfer window so far.

Would they be happy to undo all of that by letting Benjamin Nygren go at the end of it all?

I genuinely think fan anger would be off the scale if they did.

Because if we’re successful tonight in Linz, it would undermine our Champions League campaign in a big way.

We know this board has previous for this kind of behaviour.

Remember Moussa Dembele in 2018?

His sale came off the back of failing to beat AEK Athens in our Champions League qualifier.

So tonight, it’s kind of damned if you do, and damned if you don’t scenario.

If Nygren plays really well, and we qualify, the vultures will still come sniffing.

If we fail to qualify, the temptation from the board to sell him should an offer materialise, would be off the charts.

So here’s the crux of the matter.

Firstly – we have to hope – regardless of what happens, that our board has the balls to say that Nygren is not for sale.

Secondly, we also have to hope that an offer doesn’t come in before the end of the current window.

That’s a risky gauntlet to have to run.

But unfortunately, that’s the reality at Celtic.

Nygren is an asset.

And at Celtic, under this board, all asset are for sale at the right price.

You know, and I know it…

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