What it would cost Celtic to buy Jake Clarke-Salter from Queens Park Rangers

As Celtic prepare for their top-of-the-table clash with Rangers this weekend, full attention will be on how Brendan Rodgers will set up his team for this potential title-deciding derby.

If Celtic beat Rangers, Rodgers will go six points clear at the top of the table. And coupled with a Healthy goal difference, it would be almost impossible for the Ibrox club to catch Celtic.

And with the league title comes automatic qualification for the Champions League and the millions of pounds that come with that.

Celtic will have learned that to comPete in Europe’s elite comPetition, recruitment will need to be better than it was last summer and already Rodgers is being linked to various players before this season has even ended.

Celtic will need to pay at least £5m for QPR defender

One of those players is Queens Park Rangers defender, Jake Clarke-Salter. We told at the beginning of April how Celtic were battling the likes of Crystal Palance, Burnley and Wolves for the Championship defender.

Obviously, we cannot comPete with the Premier League’s millions on offer but it seems that it won’t cost the earth to get the former England u21 international. That’s according to The Telegraph’s, John Percy.

Clarke-Slater has been in decent form for a struggling QPR this season. Sitting six points clear of the relegation zone, the 26-year-old has appeared 33 times for The Superhoops.

Rated at 6.99 for the season by Fotmob, Clarke-Salter wins, on average, 1.39 tackles per Game which is higher than the league’s average.

He also wins just under 6 duels per 90 minutes, makes over four ball recoveries, wins 67.1% of his aerial battles and is composed on the ball with an 83.8% passing accuracy.

With two-years left on his contract, all the cards are on QPR’s table but if Celtic can offer Clarke-Slater Champions League Football next season, that could be the carrot that tempts him to move to Glasgow should the club be willing to match the London club’s valuation.