Celtic are the favourites to sign Manchester City forward Patrick Roberts this summer, according to the latest bookmakers’ odds.
Bet Victor have priced the Scottish champions at 2/1 to land the 20-year-old wide man before the transfer window shuts on 3 September.
Celtic are narrowly ahead of newly promoted Premier League club Huddersfield (3/1) in the race for Roberts, followed by third favourites Nice (4/1), with the trio a long way ahead of the chasing pack led by Porto, Brighton and Newcastle United (12/1).
The latest odds come after BBC Sport in Scotland revealed that Celtic’s bid to sign Roberts on a permanent transfer this summer faces severe competition from clubs in the UK and overseas.
Nice, Porto and clubs from Germany’s top tier are among 12 clubs willing to rival Brendan Rodgers’ side this summer for one of English football’s most talented young players.
Roberts ended the recently completed domestic season in outstanding form as Celtic secured a memorable treble.
The England Under-20 international scored 11 goals and laid on 19 assists during his 43 league and cup appearances and that form seems to have caught the eye of clubs all around Europe.
Roberts’ chances of becoming a City regular appear to be slim as the club have already signed attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva from Ligue 1 champions Monaco.
Like Roberts, Silva is a left-footer who prefers to cuts in from the right winger to open up defences.
The Fulham academy product has spent the last 18 months on loan at Celtic and has a City contract that runs until the summer of 2020.