Italian newspaper provides more on Celtic and Sydney van Hooijdonk speculation

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Celtic have reportedly enquired about a move for Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk.

Corriere di Bologna [20/11 print edition, Sport page 3] reports that Bologna manager Thiago Motta will look to loan van Hooijdonk out in January, with striker additions said to be a priority for the former Barcelona midfielder. The Bhoys are said to have made their opening enquiries about the possibility of a deal.

Van Hooijdonk has failed to make an impact this season in Italy, making only five league appearances.

Whether Celtic would be happy with a loan move remains to be seen, with the Hoops tending to prefer agreements at the end of loan deals that include an option to buy permanently.

Jota and Paulo Bernardo are prime examples of this approach in recent years.

Although Celtic signed Nat Phillips in the summer on loan until January, that was due to an emergency situation. At the time, Celtic had only two recognised centre-backs fit due to an injury crisis and were forced into a last-minute loan move as cover.

Rumours of a move for van Hooijdonk began to re-emerge on Friday after the Dutchman admitted a January exit is a possibility. It is clear that van Hooijdonk is not a part of Motta’s immediate plans, and speculation over a departure in January will continue to grow in the coming weeks.

After interest from the club, Celtic were previously told by Bologna that all bids would be rejected for the Dutch striker in the summer transfer window. The situation between Bologna and van Hooijdonk appears to have drastically changed, with the Italian side now open to teams to make a move for the Dutchman.

At 23 years old, van Hooijdonk already has great experience as a young striker, netting 16 goals in 33 Eredivisie appearances while on loan at Heerenveen last season. With Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Hyengou Oh all potentially away at the Asian Cup in January, this opens the door for a move for van Hooijdonk, with Brendan Rodgers previously revealing that a move for a striker in January is a priority.

A loan move for van Hooijdonk would be a smart piece of business to preview how he would adapt to life at Celtic, with a potential view to a permanent move in the summer.