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Celtic have been rocked by the news that Brendan Rodgers has joined Leicester City, but the profound disappointment surrounding his departure may only represent the first step towards another colossal setback.
Rodgers has left Celtic midway through a season in which a potential treble-treble was on the cards, with the notorious bright lights of Leicester proving too irresistible to ignore.
The Bhoys faithful are, understandably, distraught. Not only is this a blow in terms of their ambitions both short and long-term, it has provided an acute reminder of the club’s subordination to Premier League clubs and the futility of their imperious dominance in Scotland.
Celtic are a huge club, make no mistake about it, but an explicit lack of genuine competition is holding them back and that can be seen when they are faced with a proper challenge in Europe. Ultimately, the most coveted cogs in the machine will grow tired of this trend and will be cherry-picked by clubs across the continent who can offer a higher standard of football.
Moussa Dembele has already flown the nest, Rodgers has now followed in his footsteps and, with the departure signalling the end of an era, Kieran Tierney could be the next man to walk through the exit door.
The 21-year-old is adored by the Paradise faithful and represents a textbook emblem of the qualities which the vociferous fan base demand from their heroes. His heart is etched onto his sleeve, his playing style rampant and marauding, his promise exceptional.
Reports in recent years have tipped Tierney to join Manchester United, but Leicester will have to be regarded as an incredibly plausible destination for him following recent events.
Rodgers has history in this context: he signed the focal-point of his midfield at Swansea, Joe Allen, in his first summer transfer window in charge of Liverpool.
But the substance to this potential future transfer plot also lies within Ben Chilwell’s future. Leicester’s first-choice left-back has enjoyed an excellent season with the club, and his performances have commanded interest from Manchester City, as per ESPN.
Left-back has been a problematic area for City during the past eighteen months, with Benjamin Mendy consistently sidelined and Fabian Delph’s own injury problems forcing Oleksander Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte and Danilo – an attacking midfielder, central defender and right-back by trade – to share the responsibility of deputising at full-back.
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And City are unlikely to be the only interested party. English, 22 and phenomenally talented, Chilwell ticks plenty of boxes for the Premier League’s top-six.
It will take some doing for Rodgers to convince the Man City target to stay at the club long-term, and he should be firmly aware of that after taking the reigns at the King Power Stadium.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Chilwell’s departure automatically implies that Tierney will become the Foxes’ number one target to replace the England international, but his association with Rodgers suggests he will be a name at the heart of the transfer discussion.
Rodgers could ultimately come back to haunt Celtic by inflicting another colossal setback on the club in the shape of a move for the 12-cap Scotland international.
The most pertinent question is, perhaps, would Rodgers be willing to abandon his allegiance to the Hoops in a bid to prise a genuine hero away from Glasgow?