Local journalist links Celtic with Reading’s Liam Moore

Add as preferred source on Google

Celtic have been linked with a move for Reading defender Liam Moore. The Hoops are currently down to the bare bones at the back after former first-choice pair Dedryck Boyata and Filip Benkovic both departed the club.

Only Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic remain as viable options to start at the back next season so it’s no surprise to see the club linked with a target. It’s probably no surprise to see that it’s a player from the English Championship too. The majority of our rumours have centred around the division and it’s a league Neil Lennon knows well.

Former England under-21 cap Liam Moore is the player. Celtic’s interest was reported by Courtney Friday – a sports reporter for the Reading Chronicle.

https://twitter.com/ChronCourtney/status/1137802165353885696

Moore had a solid enough season for the relegation threatened Royals. He played in 38 of their 46 league matches and netted a solitary goal. Moore’s season got off to a rocky start after he submitted a transfer request in July. Brighton were the team linked with him at that stage with Sky Sports reporting that the Premier League side had bid £8million for the defender.

Moore was virtually an ever present for Reading in 2019, playing every minute of their final 21 matches of the campaign.

Is Celtic’s interest real?

Moore isn’t likely to be cheap. On top of the reported £8million+ price tag put on him last summer, he also signed a new deal with the Royals. Moore is contracted with the Championship club until the summer of 2023. That means it will likely take a bid of over £10million to prize him away.

It will be interesting to see if Celtic are prepared to shell out that money for a 26-year-old. Signing Odsonne Edouard for £9million was one thing, but doing it for a defender who’s six years older and has never played in Scotland is totally different.

The problem with shopping in the English market is that you do end up paying over the odds for players. It would be much more beneficial for the club to shop around the European market in the likes of Holland and Belgium where we’ve had so much success before.