By Gabriel Agbonlahor

6th Nov, 2020 | 8:00am

'I'm sure it'll happen in January' - Exclusive: Well-connected pundit drops Celtic bombshell

Celtic have no chance of keeping Odsonne Edouard long term – and there is a very good chance he will be gone in January.

The bombshell was dropped by the well connected Gabriel Agbonlahor, who is close to the hierarchy at lifelong club Aston Villa and has been speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley about the future of the Hoops’ star striker following their latest European humiliation.

Celtic kept hold of Edouard, 22, in the summer after scaring off suitors with a £40million price tag.

But talks about a new long-term contract to replace his current deal, which expires in 2022, have yet to result in an agreement.

Agbonlahor is convinced that means Edouard will be heading south of the border sooner rather than later.

He told Football Insider: “Celtic are a big club but are not going to be able to hold onto a striker like Edouard because, no offence to the Scottish league, it’s a good league, but strikers like that will want to go to prove themselves in the Premier League, in the top European leagues like Dembele did, a lot of players will do that.

“That’s something I’m sure will happen in January or the summer so they’ll want to make the most out of him before he does go.

“I think he’s done well but they need to make the most of him until the end of the season.

“He could definitely go play at a top team in England. He could have been the difference, for me, for that game against Rangers.

“I mean he’s deadly in them games, he’s scored quite a lot against Rangers and been the difference.”

In other news, Celtic have been given a massive boost as senior star returns ahead of schedule following shattering injury.