Odsonne Edouard is “worth £40 million ($52m)”, according to Chris Sutton, with the former Celtic striker admitting that the Frenchman may be on the move this summer after being linked with the likes of Manchester United.
The Scottish title holders signed the 22-year-old on a permanent basis in the summer of 2018 after seeing him impress on the back of an initial loan switch from Paris Saint-Germain.
Having come through the ranks at the Ligue 1 champions, his pedigree was never in doubt.
Edouard has unlocked his potential at Parkhead, with 58 goals recorded across 118 appearances for Celtic.
Sutton believes he is the best the Glasgow giants have seen since Henrik Larsson, with it difficult to see how the Hoops can keep him from the clutches of a European rival.
“Odsonne Edouard is worth £40 million,” Sutton told the Daily Record.
“He’s the best striker Celtic have had since my old sidekick Henrik Larsson left.
“And, if the club do manage to win a ninth-straight title and then have the cherished tenth to shoot for next term, surely Celtic should rip his current contract to bits, offer him virtually whatever he wants and plead with him to give them one more year in an attempt to make history.
“Assessing some of the transfer fees which are being bandied about for average players, the rate of inflation and the premium which is added to the cost for top-class strikers, I genuinely believe £40m is a realistic sales figure.
“There’s no middle club needed. The days of Virgil van Dijk needing to prove himself at Southampton before getting to Liverpool are gone. Moussa Dembele to Lyon and Kieran Tierney to Arsenal are proof of that after the Dutch defender did their groundwork.
“Edouard has got almost everything. At the age of 22, there is a decade at the highest level waiting for him.
“In all honesty, the time will probably be right for him to go in the summer. He looks to me as though as he is already ready for the step up to one of Europe’s big leagues.”
United are said to be monitoring Edouard, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sill in the market for more firepower.
He was able to get a deal over the line for Odion Ighalo at the end of the January transfer window, but it remains to be seen whether the 30-year-old is viewed as a long-term option for the Red Devils.