OPINION
Celtic target Rekeem Harper is so far refusing to sign a new deal at West Brom, meaning that Neil Lennon is surely edging closer towards signing the highly-rated midfielder this summer.
According to the Express & Star, the 19-year-old is likely to leave The Hawthorns at the end of his current deal as he is yet to agree a final contract offer that has been tabled to him by the Baggies.
Clearly that is great news for Celtic, who are reportedly in the hunt to sign the England Under-19 international after Lennon personally visited The Hawthorns earlier this month to watch the central midfielder play against Aston Villa in the Championship play-offs.
Another report by the Express & Star has claimed that the Hoops would only have to pay £235,000 in compensation fees to West Brom if they managed to strike a deal with Harper.
He is understood to have visited Celtic Park this month to watch the Scottish Premiership finale against Hearts while also being given a VIP tour of the Glasgow club.
Since then there has been silence on his contract situation at West Brom, which must mean that the Bhoys are nearing a masterstroke deal to sign the Birmingham-born teen.
Harper would definitely be a top signing for Celtic.
The young midfielder has burst onto the scene at The Hawthorns this season and looks to be a player with a lot of potential to fulfill over the coming years.
He scored one goal and supplied one assists in 23 appearances across all competitions for West Brom this season as they finished fourth in the Championship and according to WhoScored, he had the best pass completion rate of any of Albion’s regular first team players at 85.4 per cent.
The Daily Mail has previously reported that Champions League finalists Tottenham want to snap up the teenager amid the uncertainty surrounding his contract situation, but the promise of silverware, guaranteed European football and increased first team opportunities could be what sees Celtic win the race for him this time out.
It would no doubt be a stellar piece of business by Lennon as he aims to revamp the Hoops squad this summer and signing an exciting youngster like Harper, for such a cheap fee, could be a great way to start.