Alfie Devine is reportedly having a medical at Preston North End after they agreed a deal to sign the midfielder.
That’s despite the club missing their deadline to activate their option to buy the 21-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Deepdale from Tottenham.
Celtic’s interest in Devine is well-established, and they had looked set to benefit from the expiry of the buyout clause at the beginning of this month.
However, the saga now appears to be over with Devine set to commit his permanent future to the Lancashire club.
Is Alfie Devine the kind of player you want to see Celtic sign?
Alfie Devine having medical at Preston North End
According to Alasdair Gold of the Daily Mirror, Devine had his medical on Tuesday after a solid season on loan at the Championship club.
Many other clubs were interested.
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Talk of the Hoops’ interest in Devine first emerged when Martin O’Neill and Mark Fotheringham attended Preston’s clash with QPR earlier this year.
It later emerged that the 21-year-old midfielder was on the club’s shortlist, with journo Alan Nixon reporting last week Devine’s agents have strong links to Celtic.
After a recent post on social media, he drew negative reactions from the PNE support, who thought that he had passed up the opportunity to join the club permanently.
Instead, he has agreed a £6 million move to Deepdale, despite interest from promotion-chasing clubs in England’s second tier as well as the Hoops.
Devine is Spurs’ youngest-ever player and goalscorer, achieving both at the age of 16 in an FA Cup tie against Marine in 2021.
He has proven a success story of the club’s policy of loaning players out, excelling in spells at Leyton Orient and KVC Westerlo prior to his time at Preston.
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Martin O’Neill on Celtic recruitment this summer
Speaking to Celtic TV on this summer’s recruitment, O’Neill didn’t give a whole lot away.
He said: “We’ll get pre-season, try and get a couple of players in to augment the squad and try and get going.
“First of all, we’re talking about trying to augment the squad.
“Secondly, it’s getting players prepared both physically and mentally for those games, and that becomes very, very important.”
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