Celtic target Jari de Busser has confirmed his plan to leave Go Ahead Eagles.
The Dutch side have been made aware of Celtic’s interest in the goalkeeper, who is also attracting interest from Club Brugge.
GA Eagles have already signed a replacement for de Busser, making it clear that they are braced for the Belgian’s departure.
As for de Busser himself, the plan is clear: Celtic simply have to win the race.
Would Jari de Busser come in as Celtic’s first-choice goalkeeper?
Jari de Busser: A club has to come forward for me
De Busser told VI.NL: “The plan is for me to take the next step. I have said it before, and it is also being done in consultation with the club.
“They are aware of the situation, and we discussed it before this season. But well, a club has to come forward first.”
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His teammate, Jakob Breum, is also admired by the Hoops, with Parkhead chiefs infamously lowballing the club with offers for him last summer.
Technical manager Marc van Hintum said: “With the departure of several goalkeepers, we wanted to anticipate the situation in time.
“Kjetil [Haug, de Busser replacement] has been on our radar for quite some time due to his strong presence and qualities.
“Although he has mainly been active as a second goalkeeper at Toulouse in recent years, we have great confidence in his potential and expect that he can develop excellently here.”
This season, no goalkeeper in the Dutch top-flight has registered better underlying shot-stopping numbers than de Busser.
Go Ahead’s sporting director publicly mocked Celtic’s attempts to sign Breum last summer, drawing unfavourable comparisons between them and Rangers’ attempts to sign Oliver Antman.
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Celtic linked with various goalkeepers ahead of the summer
After the retirement of Kasper Schmeichel, a goalkeeper is a necessity for Celtic regardless of Viljami Sinisalo’s standing in the pecking order.
Mat Ryan has been linked as a potential experienced option, whilst youngster Pierce Charles is also reportedly being chased by the Hoops.
Nikolas Polster has been watched by Celtic scouts; he too has made it clear that he expects to be on the move this summer.
Closer to home, Motherwell’s Calum Ward is also an option.
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