Both Celtic and Rangers have reportedly been tracking Ecuadorian wonderkid midfielder likened to Chelsea star Moises Caicedo, Oscar Zambrano.
But the Hoops face extremely stiff competition for the 19-year-old who currently plies his trade LDU Quito in his native country.
According to HITC, Premier League side Bournemouth are in advanced talks to sign Zambrano, meaning any potential deal involving Celtic is probably already dead in the water.
The report claims that the midfielder has ‘caught the eye’ of the Bhoys recently, with Premier League trio Luton Town, Brighton and Wolves getting to the stage of talking to Zambrano’s intermediaries.
Manchester United were once linked with the South American starlet but it is Bournemouth who are in pole position to sign the Celtic-linked player.
Who is Celtic-linked Oscar Zambrano?
- Name: Óscar Steven Zambrano Preciado
- Age: 19 (20 April 2004)
- Nationality: Ecuador
- Club: LDU Quito
- Transfer value: £2.58m
Oscar Zambrano is one of South America’s most highly-rated teenage stars, which is evident given how many Premier League clubs have shown an interest in him.
He’s played 48 times for LDU Quito, scoring one goal and one assist in that time. Zambrano spent most of his youth career at the aforementioned club but also had a spell with America de Quito in 2017.
He is an Ecuador U20 international and already has amassed 14 caps within that age group. Zambrano earned a trial with Dutch giants Ajax in 2022 but no deal came to fruition.
LDU Quito president has previously commented publicly about transfer interest in Zambrano, confirming in the summer that while teams were looking at him, so offers had been lodged.
Celtic don’t stand a chance
It’s all well and good hearing that Celtic are linked with a South American wonderkid. But it seems the club have merely kept track of his progress without taking it any further.
Bournemouth, despite being minnows in comparison to the size of Celtic, have the cash-rich lure of the Premier League for Zambrano and when you see the club are in advanced talks with the midfielder, it’s probably game over for Celtic.
Brendan Rodgers could be doing with a midfielder this window, however. David Turnbull, Yosuke Ideguchi and Kwon have all been linked with either permanent moves or loan switches out of Glasgow so it may be an area the manager aims to strengthen.
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