OPINION
Celtic have had an active start to the window but have yet to pull off a deal that would really get the heartbeats of their fans thumping with excitement.
The potential signing of Sunderland sensation Josh Maja would fit into that category.
That possibility is suddenly a real one after the Scottish Sun reported today that Celtic are working on a deal to sign the hotshot striker from the League One club on a pre-contract agreement this summer.
Maja, 20, is out of contract in the summer and has rejected new offers from the north-east outfit as he looks to secure a blockbuster summer move.
Intriguingly, the Scottish Sun report that Celtic have one major advantage of Premier League clubs beating a path to Maja’s deal.
The Scottish champions can take advantage of cross-border rules to pull off a Moussa Dembele-style deal in which they pay just a peppercorn compensation fee to sign a player who will be a free agent in the summer.
English clubs, by contrast, would have to pay multiple millions in compensation to Sunderland, given that Maja is a product of their academy and has flourished into a striker of immense potential.
The front man has scored 15 goals for the Black Cats this season, 14 in league competition, and been the driving force behind their promotion bid.
Like Dembele was when Celtic signed him in 2016, Maja looks capable of taking the SPL by storm and he would be an outstanding signing.
The Scottish Sun report that the Hoops may offer attacker Lewis Morgan, 22, in part-exchange to Sunderland to sweeten the deal in a move that would re-unite him with ex-St Mirren manager Jack Ross.
Celtic CEO Peter Lawwell has seen his reputation plummet following a series of poor transfer windows by the club’s standards.
Were the Hoops’ reported pursuit of Maja to come off, it would be his best deal since Dembele and he will be hailed a genius by fans of the club.