Celtic fans don’t want to lose Kristoffer Ajer to Liverpool.
This transfer rumour has been doing the rounds on Twitter, where it was first reported by Celtic Underground. It then reached Liverpool Twitter and sparked debates about the merits of the Norwegian.
It’s clear that he’s well liked in Glasgow and there were a few people comparing him to Virgil van Dijk, who spent some time with the Bhoys before moving to Southampton and then the Reds.
Kristoffer Ajer has been with Celtic since 2016, when he signed from Start for just £540,000. The 22-year-old has gone on to make 132 appearances for the Hoops, primarily as a central defender although he can play in midfield.
Any side would struggle if they lost that versatility and that experience at such a young age, and it’s not a surprise to hear Celtic fans talking highly about the starlet.
Liverpool would have space in their squad for him, especially after Dejan Lovren joined Zenit St. Petersberg. Jurgen Klopp doesn’t seem to like the idea of using Sepp van den Berg or Ki-Jana Hoever as Premier League emergencies, and I’d expect the club to try and sign another defender before the season starts.
Ajer would arrive match fit as the Scottish Premier League has already kicked off and he’s played in all three games, and that’s an advantage we can’t ignore.
There would probably be some aspects of his game that the youngster would need to work on, but Liverpool are buying themselves time with this player. He’d be able to relax, work hard in training, learn the ropes and then take each step as it comes.
This boy is a player don’t see why fans don’t get it,only central defender willing to carry ball forward,can’t sell him
— box cutter 🏆🏆🏆✖️8️⃣ (@Celtic2theCore7) August 24, 2020
Every player Klopp signs is afforded those little luxuries to get used to the tempo of the squad and the demands the manager places upon them – unless they’re elites like Mohamed Salah or Alisson.
So while Ajer might have some work to do, the fact that Celtic fans speak highly of him should be seen as an incredible positive.
He’s only valued at £3.60 million, say Transfermarkt, he shouldn’t break the bank – even though the Bhoys will hold out for more than that.