GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 29: Ryan Christie of Celtic in action during the Betfred Cup match between Celtic and Ross County at Celtic Park on November 29, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
According to Eurosport, Ryan Christie has emerged as a possible target for Leicester. Brendan Rodgers is said to be an admirer of the player. With Christie also reluctant to extend his stay at Celtic, it has accelerated rumors of a transfer.
The 25-year-old Scottish midfielder started his youth career at Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC in 2005 and progressed through the youth teams. The attacking midfielder was promoted to the senior team in 2013.
Celtic signed him in 2015 and loaned him back to Inverness in 2016. He made a total of 76 appearances for Inverness across two spells. After his return, he was again loaned out, this time to Aberdeen for two years. He had a much more prolific spell there, scoring 15 goals and assisting 18 in 57 games (source – Transfermarkt).
On returning to Celtic, he became a regular name in the starting line-up. In total, he has made 127 appearances for Celtic, scoring 37 goals and assisting another 36 (at the time of writing). He is also starting to gather more time for the national team, with 16 caps to his name so far.
Leicester are having another good campaign under Brendan Rodgers and while they made some good additions like Wesley Fofana, Cengiz Under and Timothy Castagne, it still seems like they are a bit short staffed in attacking midfield. James Maddison is their only natural No.10 to call upon.
This is exactly where a player like Ryan Christie could come in handy. Ryan Christie is a natural No.10 who can create goals as well as take his chances in front of goal. Brendan Rodgers would be well aware of the player’s qualities given they worked together at Celtic. His stats are rather impressive for a midfielder and he could be a good addition for the Foxes.
Sure, the Premier League is a different ball game compared to the Scottish game, but there are good chances that he can flourish under an astute manager like Rodgers. It would allow Rodgers to rest Maddison on some occasions or just change things up by throwing on Christie. It looks like a good deal for Leicester and they should surely try to sign him.