‘If that happens’ – Why over £11m still might not be enough for Celtic to sign Kasper Dolberg

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Celtic need a quality striker and fast.

Jamie Vardy was briefly linked with a move to the Hoops, but he appears to be on his way to Serie A outfit Cremonense instead.

The Bhoys then turned their full attention towards Anderlecht striker Kasper Dolberg after the Belgians were completely knocked out of European competition in midweek.

Celtic can offer Europa League football to Dolberg and the chance to win silverware regularly, but the two clubs have not reached an agreement over a fee.

Anderlecht are said to have expected at least a £9m opening bid plus bonuses from Celtic, but it appears the Scottish champions were short of that.

And now, Celtic have been told even over £11m may not be enough to convince Dolberg to sign.

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Celtic must convince Dolberg to sign regardless of transfer fee

According to Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad, Celtic may go on to bid between €12-13m for Dolberg, which is of course well within the club’s financial means.

That is between £10.3m and £11.2m, so a hefty sum of money. But it is being reported that even if Anderlecht accept an offer of that ilk, Celtic will still need to try and convince Dolberg to sign.

There’s also the issue of the Denmark international’s salary, which reportedly is something Celtic are yet to come to an agreement over too.

Nieuwsblad stated: “Celtic has already made several overtures but has now also formulated an initial offer. This is significantly lower than the €10.5 million plus bonuses initially expected.

“It is, of course, only a first proposal, but it is insufficient for RSCA for the time being.

“Danish media has also reported a four-year contract, but the player’s salary is also reportedly insufficient. Celtic will have to make additional efforts to achieve their target.

“According to insiders, the Scottish champions could certainly go for €12-13 million. If that happens, they’ll still have to fully convince the striker to sign.

“A few other clubs are lurking on the fringes, but those clubs don’t seem particularly interesting for any of the parties at the moment.”

Dolberg could become Celtic’s record signing

Celtic paid £9m for Adam Idah last August to become the club’s record signing, but that was eclipsed very soon after by Arne Engels.

Engels cost £11m from Augsburg but is yet to fully convince the Celtic fans of that price tag.

Anderlecht wanted an opening bid of £9m plus add-ons, it is being reported. So it may well be that Celtic will need to offer a record sum to tie down Dolberg.

However, as mentioned, does Dolberg really want to sign? His wages appear to be a separate issues, and that will be crucial if he is to move.

According to Salary Sport, he earns £34k per week at Anderlecht, and Celtic’s joint-highest earners currently are Callum McGregor and Cameron Carter-Vickers on £37k each.