Celtic could be set to miss out on the signing of Motherwell starlet David Turnbull in the summer, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
Neil Lennon is said to be a big admirer of the young midfielder, who has had his price tag set at £3million ahead of any potential move away from the mid-table Scottish side.
The Sun writer revealed on his personal Twitter account that the 19-year-old would prefer to move to England in the summer amid rumours that both the Hoops and Barnsley have had bids rejected [Source: BBC].
Celtic want him too. But he fancies playing in England. https://t.co/etRThssUcO
— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) June 9, 2019
Turnbull has enjoyed a tremendous breakout season at Fir Park, winning the SWFA Young Player of the Year award, after being involved in 23 goals in his 34 appearances.
OPINION
This would be a real kick in the teeth for all involved at Celtic. It would mean that the pull of joining the Hoops could have lowered in previous months after the departure of Brendan Rodgers. The news that a young 19-year-old Scottish midfielder would prefer to move to a Barnsley side who have just been promoted to League One instead of a Celtic side who are in the hunt for a ninth consecutive Scottish Premier League title will be dampening. At only £3million, Neil Lennon must show the dominance of his side in the transfer window in terms of Scottish clubs and make an offer that Motherwell can’t reject. The Hoop’s no doubt have a much bigger transfer budget than Barnsley and the only reason Turnbull could be thinking of a move to England is that he would potentially get more playing time than he would at Celtic Park. The starlet must put that to the back of his head and see this as a huge chance to break into Lennon’s side next season after a campaign where Celtic were criticised for their style of play.