Celtic are leading their rivals in the battle for Bolton Wanderers’ young star Luca Connell as he looks to leave the English side, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claim on their websites that the Hoops are heading the queue for the 18-year-old gem’s capture, with a six figure compensation fee of as little as £230,000 on the midfielder’s head if he leaves for a side outside England this summer.
The report states that the 18-year-old starlet, who played for Bolton’s first team last season and has been training with the Republic of Ireland’s senior side, is in demand across England and abroad and is set for the exit, his contractual terms, with an academy deal rather than a professional one, leaving him available for a marginal price.
Good move for Celtic?
It is always difficult to judge an 18-year-old and the sort of impact they could have but it appears as though Connell is one of those youngsters who is getting all the clubs excited over his potential.
To have played for his current club, who are admittedly in dire straits in terms of their financial situation and had their arm twisted over playing him due to a lack of options, is a sign of how talented the youngster is and so you can understand why there are a number of sides keen on his capture.
Celtic could potentially do with some fresh midfield talent this summer if the likes of Olivier Ntcham do leave and while he might be a youngster, he could offer the Bhoys something they are missing.
This is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
When it comes to sides outside of England – with any buying club needing to meet that particular geographical prerequisite needed for the bargain compensation fee – there are going to be few bigger than Celtic chasing his capture.
While those south of the border involve themselves in a battle to try and seal him for a transfer fee – something Bolton would love – the Hoops know they can wait and get Connell over the line, using the lure of a title challenge and exposure through game time to get him on board.
They have done it before – see Moussa Dembele for a prime example – and will no doubt look to do it again.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10