KILMARNOCK manager Angelo Alessio has revealed that the club are still negotiating with Celtic over the possible sale of left-back Greg Taylor before the transfer window shuts on Monday but he believes their respective valuations of the player are so far apart that he cannot see a compromise agreement being reached. Nor does he believe chairman Billy Bowie should settle for less than the £3m he believes the 21-year-old is worth.
Offers of £500,000 from FC Nuremberg and £750,000 from Sunderland for the player, who made his Scotland debut against Belgium in June, have been turned down and Alessio will be happy if he is still with the Ayrshire club come Tuesday.
“I understand [the attraction] for Greg and Celtic,” he said. “Celtic for him is a top, top club in Scotland and it can improve his career. At the moment it is only a conversation with the club and I hope he can stay with us but I understand the situation.
“We want to keep the best players. I spoke to the club and they want to keep our best players too. I understand that sometimes there is an offer that can’t be refused but at the moment Greg plays for us and we are happy to have him.”
Taylor is almost certainly out of tomorrow’s match against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park due to a hamstring problem which may also lead to him pulling out of the Scotland squad for the Euro 2020 qualifying ties against Russia and Belgium at Hampden.
“Is it frustrating for Taylor?” said Alessio. “No; I spoke with him about his injury and the situation and he is calm. I think now it is important for him to think about Kilmarnock. His job is to be a player for Kilmarnock.
“At the moment there are some conversations – only conversations – between the clubs and I don’t think there is the possibility to lose Greg at the moment. It’s difficult for him because he is young and rumours are all around him.
“There’s talk that he could improve his career at a top club and it would be a great opportunity for him but, at the same time, as a coach I want him to stay because he is important for us.”
Meanwhile, signing players has taken longer than Alessio would have liked since he replaced Steve Clarke at Rugby Park in June.
“It has been frustrating for me,” he confessed. “I’d hoped for more new players during the last two months, especially a striker.”
Yet the Italian claims he would be happier if the Scottish game followed the example of England’s top two tiers by closing the transfer window before the league campaign gets under way.
“I think the current window is very long – it doesn’t finish until the second day of September,” he said. “At the same time I think our club is using this period to add new players.
“There are a lot of teams in the same situation but I think it is much better for the market to finish before the start of the season. Some players still think it is possible to move and that is no good for the manager when it comes to making plans for his team.”
As well as Taylor, centre-backs Kirk Broadfoot and Stuart Findlay are struggling to be fit for tomorrow’s match in Perth.
“It’s a blow for us,” admits Alessio. “In the last two weeks we have had good results against Hamilton and Aberdeen and we want to keep improving on our performances to win again on Saturday. At the moment there are issues for both.”
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