MX23RW : Saturday, November 23 15:39:32| >> :60:3428:3428:

Brendan Rodgers confirms Chelsea interest in Craig Gordon

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers confirms that the club have turned down an offer from Chelsea for goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that the club have rejected a bid from Chelsea for goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

The Premier League leaders are in the market for a back-up shot-stopper to Thibaut Courtois amid speculation linking current number two Asmir Begovic with a move away from Stamford Bridge before Tuesday's transfer deadline.

However, they have been unsuccessful in an attempt to lure the 34-year-old to London, and Rodgers urged the Scotland international not to "waste away his career" by becoming second choice.

"He is a player that, with all due respect, when myself and my staff came in here he was a far cry away from what he is now as a goalkeeper. He has gone away and worked on how we want him to play and has got himself into the team and has been absolutely brilliant, first class. Chelsea have an interest in him but for any interest to be activated there has to be a valuation of the player that has to be met," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Record.

"We don't want to sell him of course but if there's any way that would make Celtic think then there has to be an offer that would allow us to do that as a club. And what came in was nowhere near that level. There's nothing we have got from Chelsea that would make us think in any way we would want to lose a goalkeeper. He is a goalkeeper I really want to keep here. I have enjoyed seeing his progress and development.

"He is a goalkeeper who, whenever I studied the games here in the past, when the ball went back to Craig the crowd were nervous and the players were nervous and he was probably nervous. If you look at him now his game because of our style has elevated him to one of the best clubs in Europe wanting to take him down there as a number two.

"I have had a few conversations with him and he is clear where we are at. I understand the lure of it and I also understand what it would mean for Craig to go there as a number two for the next two years and waste away his career in not playing games."

Gordon has made 18 Premiership starts for Celtic this season, helping them to build a 22-point gap at the top of the table.

ID:290549: cacheID:290549:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3380:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon in action during his side's World Cup qualifier with England at Wembley on November 11, 2016
Read Next:
Celtic 'reject Chelsea bid for Gordon'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton112451017-710
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!