Celtic have made an ‘initial enquiry’ regarding a move for Callum Wilson, according to a report.
Martin O’Neill is burning the midnight oil on the phone as he attempts to bring a striker through the door to support his title push.
Over the past week alone, Celtic have been linked with Chelsea’s David Datro Fofana, Celje’s Franko Kovacevic and Lorient’s Mohamed Bamba.
O’Neill has joked about sifting through thousands of potential targets after the departures of Wilfried Nancy and Paul Tisdale reset Celtic’s transfer strategy.
And one name – previously viewed as more rumour than reality – now appears to be firmly on the club’s radar.
Celtic make ‘initial’ enquiry for Callum Wilson:
Wilson is an England international with nine caps and two goals to his name.
Now 33, he joined West Ham on a free transfer from Newcastle in the summer – but following Nuno Espirito Santo’s arrival, he has been tipped for a possible exit.
Sections of the Scottish media had floated him as a potential Celtic target, but the scale of the Hoops’ interest remained uncertain.
However, speaking on talkSPORT, transfer specialist Ben Jacobs has revealed an ‘initial enquiry’ from Celtic.
He said: “I think Celtic have made an initial enquiry to the player’s side only.
“They’re trying to establish, first and foremost: is Wilson’s contract going to be terminated? Because Wilson as a free agent – still with a relatively high wage expectation – is one thing…
“But nobody wants to actually do a deal with West Ham unless he goes into free agency.
“And like Michail Antonio, if that proves to be the case, this isn’t something that has to be done imminently. Player and clubs can take their time.
“So West Ham and Wilson are still in talks to finalise an expected termination, but it’s not 100% done yet.
“And then, Celtic could be interested. Leicester City have also made an enquiry as well, and there remain two Saudi clubs – Al-Ettifaq, who used to be managed by Steven Gerrard, and Al-Shabab.”
Callum Wilson to Celtic?
Wilson has quickly become one of the most discussed names in relation to Celtic’s transfer activity.
Chris Sutton was the first to mention Wilson, arguing that the Hoops had little choice but to ‘gamble’ on a striker of his calibre.
Alan Stubbs echoed that view, suggesting Wilson would not be a gamble at all for Celtic and would immediately be the top striker in Scotland.
Supporters remain divided, balancing excitement over his proven finishing ability with concerns about his injury record.