Celtic rival Tottenham in pursuit of exciting Irish talent as European suitors circle for forward

Add as preferred source on Google

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has plenty of transfer targets in mind this month as the Irishman looks to build for the short and long term at Parkhead.

Putting his side in the ring for some ready-made experience, the Bhoys are negotiating a pre-contract with Kieran Tierney and may look to strike a loan deal this month if circumstances align.

Earlier this week, Brendan Rodgers shared that Celtic are working on deals in the background, but there is an understandable calm before the storm as the club doesn’t want to rush into any decisions.

Nonetheless, building from a position of strength is the priority. Internally, Celtic fans could also see Dane Murray and Johnny Kenny feature shortly after both returned from loan deals at Queens Park and Shamrock Rovers, respectively.

Looking to the future is another one of Rodgers’ many aims in his second spell north of the border. Per latest developments, he may also apply that school of though in the market.

Celtic enter the running to sign Mason Melia

According to The Sun, Celtic have emerged as a contender to sign St Patrick’s Athletic forward Mason Melia following his emergence on the League of Ireland scene.

The 17-year-old striker has made 54 appearances across all competitions for the Dublin-based outfit, registering ten goals and three assists in total.

Not short of suitors, the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international is also being tracked by Tottenham Hotspur, who saw a £1 million bid turned down for his signature last month. Eintracht Frankfurt and Genk are also admirers.

However, due to Brexit rules, he wouldn’t be permitted to leave St Patrick’s to join any clubs in Scotland or England until next year when he turns 18.

European suitors have the advantage of being able to bring him in now, so it remains to be seen if the Bhoys could solicit a deal that works for all parties.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers does want a third striker

Alongside Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah, Rodgers wants a third-man Celtic striker to provide competition across his forward line should the opportunity arise.

Kenny is the most likely to provide that function after a successful loan spell at Shamrock Rovers, though Melia is developing at a rapid rate and could step into the role in time.

Frustratingly, stipulations dictate he wouldn’t be allowed to join until 2026, which may prove too long to wait for Celtic. For now, the story is worth keeping an eye on incase any further developments come to light.