Celtic captain Callum McGregor is weighing up a blockbuster move to the Saudi Pro League, with former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers ready to offer him a lucrative 'pension' contract at Al-Qadsiah. According to former Premier League striker Alan Smith, the 33-year-old midfielder should seize the opportunity to secure a massive payday before retiring.
McGregor's Agent Switch Fuels Saudi Speculation
McGregor has two years remaining on his Celtic contract, but speculation has intensified after he changed agents to Unique Sports Group — the same agency that represents Al-Qadsiah manager Brendan Rodgers. The move follows McGregor's warning to Celtic chiefs in April that he could leave unless the club matches his ambitions.
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has admitted he cannot guarantee the captain will stay, with showdown talks expected over his future. An approach this summer would be the second time Rodgers has tried to lure McGregor away from Celtic, having previously attempted to sign him for Leicester City in 2019.
Smith: 'It's About the Bank Balance'
Alan Smith, who played under Rodgers at Leicester City, believes a move to Saudi Arabia makes perfect sense for McGregor. "Well, there's a point in your career when you want to make big money, and he's 33, McGregor, so I'm sure that is a good incentive," Smith told Record Sport via BestBettingSites.co.uk. "He wouldn't have made those massive figures that other players have during his time up in Scotland. So, that would be a nice little pension for him with his old manager. So it's not so much about ambition, winning trophies, but probably about the bank balance."
Postecoglou Also in the Mix
Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has also recently taken charge at Al-Nassr and is set to dip into the transfer market. Smith reckons both of McGregor's ex-managers could be targeting him, but Rodgers has the edge due to their existing relationship. Al-Qadsiah will need to clear spaces on their foreign player list when the Saudi window opens on July 22.
McGregor Focused on Silverware
Despite the transfer talk, McGregor has remained focused on winning more trophies with Celtic during their pre-season training camp in Portugal. "I think that's the job of a Celtic player, is that we don't get tired of winning, because we've set ourself an unbelievable standard over the last 14, 15 years that have been successful, won numerous amounts of titles, trophies, trying to push all the time in sort of European football to be as good as we can be," he said. "And all that does is bring in bigger expectation, a bigger target on your back, so you then have to defend that."
