LUBO MORAVCIK says he can understand why Ryan Christie would be tempted by a move to the English Premier League, as the Celtic legend admitted that his old club may have to accept their place in the footballing food chain.
Christie is out of contract at Celtic next January and is free to speak to other clubs from this summer, and the club are keen to move on him on at the end of this season in order to bring in a transfer fee for the 26-year-old.
English Championship title winners Norwich City and Burnley are believed to have a strong interest in the attacker, and Moravcik says that he can see why Christie may be interested in such a move, even though Celtic are a bigger club than either of them.
“Celtic is a very big club, but the English Premier League is a big motivation,” Moravcik told The Celtic Huddle Podcast.
“There is better money for the players, and because of that, it is difficult to resist and stay for a long time at Celtic.
“For everybody, Celtic is a very good club to jump to a better league, because the Scottish league is very difficult to compare to the Premier League.
“For me, the Premier League is the best competition ever, and I think it’s a dream for everybody to play there. So, I understand.”
Despite his love for Celtic, Moravcik says he too would be tempted to move to England were he in Christie’s situation.
“Of course,” he said. “It’s absolutely logical for a young player like that.
“Like I said, it’s a dream to play in the Premier League, and he’s at a good age now to move.
“If Celtic can get some money in then that’s good for Celtic, and then they can find another player maybe who can make the same contribution and make the jump to the Premier League again.
“I think that is the role that the Scottish league has in football, to prepare the players – especially at Celtic and Rangers – for the English league.
“We have to accept that situation, because that is how it is. We’re not in the 70s or 60s, we’re in the 21st century.
“We have to accept that the English league is a different world.”
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