Celtic urged to seal £6m deal for 'dominating' colossus who has previously praised Postecoglou

Frank McAvennie is hopeful that Celtic will complete a permanent deal for on-loan defender Cameron Carter-Vickers. 

The American is on loan from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the 2021/22 season and has started all but one Premiership game since he arrived in Glasgow.

The centre-back said in the autumn that he is ‘open’ to remaining at Parkhead beyond this season and credited Ange Postecoglou and his coaching staff for making him feel ‘welcome’ and devising a system which is ‘easy to adapt to’.

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie – who played 106 games for Celtic over four seasons – said that it is important for The Hoops to secure the long-term signature of a “key” player but claimed that it is a balancing act, warning his former club not to pay over the odds for Carter-Vickers.

The former Hoops striker called the 24-year-old a “dominating defender” and, addressing his Parkhead future, stated: “I still hope we sign him in the summer as long as the money is right, we shouldn’t overpay. But he’s clearly a key part of this side and it would shock me if we didn’t get him.”

It’s understood that, under the loan agreement, Celtic have the option to buy Carter-Vickers for £6m this summer – more than double his Transfermarkt valuation of £2.7m.

However, there may still be room for negotiation. For instance, in January the club held talks with Spurs over the specific structure of any deal.

Celtic might want to set up a favourable payment plan, and then there’s also the matter of slotting Carter-Vickers into their existing wage structure, although it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were eager to do whatever it takes to clinch the deal.

Postecoglou clearly has a great deal of trust in the 24-year-old, and