Celtic Shorts

Celtic have reportedly intensified talks with Tottenham Hotspur over Alfie Devine…

The midfielder’s name hit the headlines before the end of last season, when it wad claimed that Martin O’Neill and Mark Fotheringham had been in attendance at a Championship encounter to watch the Preston North End loanee at that time.

The Lilywhites had taken the Spurs star on a short-term deal to England’s second division last term, where Devine flourished by all accounts, who bagged 8 goals and 6 assists down the road for the Deepdale club. Preston had thought to have held a £6 million option-to-buy included in the player’s deal which took him to Lancashire, but that expired on 1 July.

Now it appears that Celtic and Martin O’Neill’s recruitment team are keen to finish the job where Preston could not, and offer the 21-year-old star an opportunity to play Champions League football, all things going well. The Celtic Way has reported that talks are “accelerating” for the aforementioned Devine, who is surplus to requirements at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a plethora of talent already there and fighting for a starting place under new manager, Roberto De Zerbi.

Celtic have not really started their summer rebuild yet, as only Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has officially signed on for another year. Make no mistake though, this is merely maintaining what was already there, and the Hoops must add to the collective, as opposed to cutting more faces from a squad that is lacking strength in depth.

Rumours are constant surrounding the likes of Arne Engels, Alistair Johnston, Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren, with English Premier League sides thought to be courting all four men. Likewise, Reo Hatate has confirmed to the club that he wishes to leave Celtic Park and try something different, meaning more replacements need sourced again.

The club are said to be talking with Qarabag about the prospect of Camilo Duran becoming a Bhoys player, however despite that news breaking, nothing has surfaced that suggests it is by any means a done deal and that will terrifying supporters because of our previous history in transfer negotiations.

Duran’s agent is reported to be in Glasgow this weekend too, to thrash out personal terms, but as things stand, nothing is signed, sealed or indeed delivered.

The support needs to see signs of life now – and fast.

Paul Gillespie

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