NafisaCeltic are now lining up a move for a “great” midfielder, who is also attracting attention from Scottish Premiership rivals Rangers.
Hoops could be heading for a major summer overhaul
Despite a brilliant finish to the campaign, with a 3-1 win over Hearts on the final day securing the Scottish Premiership crown, Chris Sutton has suggested a significant rebuild may be on the horizon at Parkhead this summer.
The former striker said: “I can count at least 10 of the current squad who are not going to be there from the end of last season and some of them are key men.
We all know that Daizen Maeda is going to be leaving, Arne Engels and Alistair Johnston are going to attract interest, Reo Hatate will likely go. These are not squad men. These are vital cogs in the Celtic wheel, and have been for a long time.
Although the transfer window has not officially opened yet, Engels is already generating interest, with Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest keen, while Hatate’s possible departure could increase the urgency to bring in a new central midfielder.
It was recently reported that Rangers are plotting a move for ETO FC star Milan Vitalis, but the Hoops may have other ideas, with a potential hijack now being considered.
Celtic preparing move for “great” midfielder
Dermot Desmond is wasting little time ahead of the summer transfer window, with a report from Football Insider claiming Celtic are now gearing up for a move for Vitalis after keeping a ‘close watch’ on his displays in Hungary.
There is a belief the six-cap Hungary international could make an immediate impact in the Scottish Premiership, and he has emerged as an ideal target for the Parkhead side, although competition could come from Rangers and Aberdeen.
Hungary manager Marco Rossi was full of praise for the 24-year-old back in August, having been particularly impressed by his adaptability, saying: “Vitalis is performing great in Győr, but I already got to know him at DAC, he reads the game well and can be used in all areas of midfield, so he is very promising from a technical and tactical point of view.”
The central midfielder remained an influential figure for the Hungarian side throughout the season and played a key role in helping them dethrone Ferencvaros to lift the league title, contributing nine goals and four assists in 31 appearances.
Encouragingly for Celtic, there have also been suggestions that Vitalis could be available for a bargain fee of just £1.1m this summer.
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