NafisaThe summer transfer window has moved quickly at Celtic Park, but behind the scenes the club have been working on a deal they believe could reshape their attack for the new campaign.
Supporters knew change was coming after Daizen Maeda’s departure gathered pace, with Martin O’Neil making no secret of his desire to bring in a proven goalscorer capable of leading the line in both the Premiership and Europe.
Speculation has surrounded several forwards in recent weeks, but one name consistently remained at the top of Celtic’s shortlist.
Now, the Scottish champions appear to have landed their man.
According to multiple reports, Celtic have reached an agreement with Bodo/Glimt over a club-record £11 million deal plus add-ons for Danish striker Kasper Hogh, with the 25-year-old now travelling to the United Kingdom to complete the final stages of the transfer.
The Denmark international is expected to undergo his medical within the next 24 hours before putting pen to paper on a four-year contract, with Celtic also holding the option to extend the agreement by a further season.
The move comes shortly after Daizen Maeda completed his £10 million transfer to Ipswich Town, creating the space for Celtic to secure the striker they have chased for months.
Speaking after Celtic’s 2-2 draw with AC Milan, manager Martin O’Neil confirmed that Hogh’s arrival is edging ever closer.
“Without going too deeply into it, that’s the calibre of player that we’d be looking for, who has scored goals in the Champions League.”
“I’m hoping that players coming into the football club who are of some sort of substance, I think that would be the exciting thing for fans.”
“For most of the time that I was here last season, we struggled to score goals. Maeda came up brilliantly for us in the last six or seven weeks of the season, but we didn’t have that recognised striker. So that would be a big plus for us if we can do that.”
Hogh has been Celtic’s preferred centre-forward target throughout the summer. The Hoops first explored a move during the January transfer window, but Bodo/Glimt’s impressive Champions League campaign convinced both club and player to postpone any transfer discussions.
That decision proved worthwhile for Hogh, who enhanced his reputation by scoring important European goals, including during Bodo/Glimt’s memorable victory over Atletico Madrid on their run to the last 16.
Now, with European commitments behind him, the striker is finally set to make the move to Glasgow.
Should the medical go according to plan, Hogh will become Celtic’s most expensive signing in history, underlining the club’s determination to replace Maeda with a striker capable of delivering goals both domestically and in European competition.
For Celtic supporters, the wait now appears to be almost over, with the Danish forward expected to be officially unveiled once the remaining formalities are completed.
Nafisa
