Celtic’s hunt for two midfielders before the deadline may go right to the wire as Brendan Rodgers seeks strength in depth across the engine room.
Matt O’Riley’s departure has left a significant void to be filled, a function Augsburg’s Arne Engels could address if the Belgium Under-21 international makes his way to Glasgow before the deadline.
The Bhoys have upped their offer to £10 million for the talent. However, his current employers still want more financial reward for his services. Talks continue over a potential transfer.
Lausanne-Sport midfielder Alvyn Sanches is back on Celtic’s radar, and there could be scope for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions to make a move after pulling away from negotiations over Mateusz Bogusz.
Dundee captain Luke McCowan is another name that doesn’t seem to be going away. His situation has been monitored for the majority of the window, while Hibernian have seen several offers knocked back for the in-demand 26-year-old.
Far from being off the table, there is still a scenario where Celtic could sanction a late play for him in the final hours of the window.
The latest on Luke McCowan
Yesterday evening, The Daily Record reported that McCowan could still come into the ‘equation’ for Celtic if they don’t succeed in recruiting other midfield targets.
Fast forward to this morning, and The Scottish Sun echo these claims, stating that the Bhoys could yet ‘step up interest’ in the Dundee captain in the dying embers of the summer window.
Into the final year of his deal at Dens Park, McCowan has registered three goals and six assists in eight appearances for the Scottish Premiership outfit so far this season.
Dundee have been said to value their prize asset at £1 million. It would be intriguing to see if that has changed with so little time left in the window to sanction a replacement.
Nevertheless, they did sign midfielder Sammy Braybrooke on loan from Leicester City yesterday. Whether his arrival is pre-empted remains to be seen.
Celtic are in the market for late deals, and time is of the essence to recruit quality with Deadline Day fast approaching.
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