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 90min (h/t MSN) back in December, Southampton were among the Premier League clubs monitoring Celtic playmaker Ryan Christie with a view to a potential transfer in the January window.
Leicester City, Leeds United and Newcastle were also understood to be in the race to sign the 25-year-old. Christie ended up staying put at Parkhead, though, with neither club following up their interest with an official approach.
However, with the Scotland international set to enter the final 12 months of his contract at Celtic, the door remains open for the English clubs to launch a bidding war. While he’d be a quality signing for all the aforementioned sides, Southampton would benefit the most from completing a swoop for the left-footed ace.
A youth exponent of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ryan Christie burst on to the scene in the Scottish Premiership during the 2013-14 season. He scored 10 times in 76 appearances for his boyhood club over four seasons before earning a move to champions Celtic in 2015.
However, Christie had to wait before establishing himself as a key player at Parkhead. He furthered his development on loan at Aberdeen, where he excelled with impressive returns of 15 goals and 18 assists in 57 appearances for the Dons over 18 months.
Following the sale of Stuart Armstrong to Southampton in 2018, Christie finally got his opportunity to impress at Celtic. The 25-year-old has since been a key driving force behind the Hoops’ dominance on the domestic front, guiding the club to consecutive trebles.
The 16-cap Scotland international’s illustrious spell at Celtic has seen him accumulate a tally of 37 goals and 37 assists in 128 appearances across all competitions.
James Ward-Prowse and Stuart Armstrong have shouldered the bulk of Southampton’s creative workload in the middle. However, the Saints don’t really have too many quality alternatives in the playmaking role to reduce the dependence on their regular starters.
Nathan Redmond has struggled for fitness this season while Moussa Djenepo has failed to translate his promise into meaningful goal returns. Theo Walcott’s loan deal from Everton has worked out really well but it remains to be seen whether Southampton agree on a permanent transfer.
Regardless of that, however, the Saints can certainly do with more quality and competition for places in the creative department. A potential deal for Ryan Christie, to that end, would go a long way towards bolstering Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad with an eye on the future.
Christie has proven his worth as a quality creative midfielder at Celtic while also producing some classy displays in the Europa League. The Scotland international looks capable of making the step up to more competitive surroundings. A move to the Premier League would, therefore, allow him to showcase his talents on a bigger stage.
Besides his obvious ability to score goals and make assists, the 25-year-old also offers a lot with his versatility. Christie has been utilised to good effect in No.10 and wide-right roles throughout his time at Celtic. Hence, he would provide quality cover and competition in multiple positions in Southampton’s forward line.
Southampton have a healthy working relationship with Celtic, having successfully orchestrated a deal to sign Stuart Armstrong in 2018. And Armstrong’s success at St. Mary’s should be enough to convince the Saints to take a punt on Ryan Christie next summer.
The Scottish star still has plenty of room for development at 25 and would represent an excellent piece of business for Hasenhuttl.