Could Patrick Roberts really stay at Celtic after all?

One of the best additions to the Celtic squad this season has been right midfielder Patrick Roberts. The Manchester City loanee has gone from super-sub to indispensable as the season as gone on.

All of this has happened with the long-standing thought of Roberts’ return to the English Premier League at the end of this season. What, with his English citizenship and the need of the Sky Blues for more English players in their squad to fulfill requirements and all.

But, there have always been questions as to whether he would be in the long-term plans at Man City. It has led to plenty of hope that Roberts’ loan deal could become a permanent one at Paradise.

Hope of a deal had seemingly been put to rest earlier this year though, as manager Brendan Rodgers seemed resigned to the fact that Roberts was as good as gone in the offseason.

But, it appears Celtic are not going to let Robert go without a fight. According to Irish Journalist Phil Mac Giolla Bhain, Celtic have put up a £6.8 million offer to Manchester City in the hopes of keeping him.

Having Roberts in the fold long-term is certainly a nice thought for Celtic supporters. It would mean one less hole to fill in the summer transfer window. But, even if the transfer bid is real, should there be hope of this actually happening?

The question seems to be if Manchester City see Roberts as surplus or part of the first team next season. There’s little question that the player and Celtic have mutual interest in seeing this deal happen.

After all, Roberts chose Celtic and the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen over putting on the England kit for a U-20 World Cup. That’s a big deal, and one that shows his dedication and love for the Hoops.

Celtic seem to be very serious with this offer, even adding a 25 percent sell-on clause to sweeten the deal for the Citizens and putting the final fee at £8 million with add-ons.

It’s a serious offer for a player most saw as a fringe Celtic player to begin the season. But, he’s become a vital part of what Rodgers and his coaching staff are trying to accomplish here.

Roberts has been coy about the move, but he has to be. After all, he technically is part of the Manchester City squad and setting off a firestorm with that club only to be called back in would be career suicide.

The spotlight only continues to grow for Roberts after an amazing brace against Partick Thistle on Thursday night at Firhill. He played it cool though, telling the Scottish Sun it is about enjoying his football as of late.

"“I’m not going to say anything right now. The fans have been brilliant. Every game this season, home and away, they’ve been absolutely fantastic.“We just want to show to them what we can do and put in the performances for them so they can have a good season and we’ve done that.“We’ve got two important games to go and we want to finish them in style.”"

Ultimately, the ball is completely in Manchester City’s court. If Roberts really wants to stay, he’s going to have to make that known to the boardroom discreetly.

Next: 5 Scottish Records Celtic can still break this season

Let’s just say, Roberts’ future is perhaps one of the biggest storylines of the offseason in Scottish football. Celtic certainly want him around