The ongoing mid-season break must be an uncomfortable one for Celtic fans following their home defeat to Rangers a couple of weeks ago. Their ‘nine in a row’ mission is under threat, and the club are desperately chasing new signings to overcome the lapses.
The Hoops are highly reliant on Odsonne Edouard in spearheading the frontline and have been linked with a move for Slovenian forward Andraz Sporar to challenge and cover the Frenchman high up the pitch. The negotiation is on for quite some time, but the Glasgow giants might just have suffered a massive blow if the latest report from A Bola is to be believed.
According to the Portuguese outlet, a host of European outfits are chasing his signing, and the 25-year-old Slovan Bratislava ‘number 9’ is preferring a switch to Sporting Lisbon over Celtic amid inquiry from the Primeira Liga hotshots.
“We don’t know now what the situation is with Celtic’s interest in Sporar. We have received offers from several clubs and we are open to negotiation with all serious partners, including Celtic. However, we will only accept a transfer fee which matches Sporar’s current value.”
Ivan Kmotrik, the sporting director of the Slovak outfit, has highlighted the growing interest in Sporar while speaking to the Scottish Sun in a recent interview.
Why It Is Taking So Long For Celtic In Their Attempt To Strike A Deal
Although Bratislava are open to listening to offers for the striking sensation, they have set a valuation of at least £5m for his potential suitors as quoted by the Daily Record. The amount is not at all minuscule considering the financial limitations of Scottish football. The fact that they are not alone anymore in the race must be bothering the Glasgow giants.
Why They Must Not Let It Slip From Their Grasp
With both Leigh Griffiths and Vakoun Issouf Bayo offering little as the understudy to Edouard, Celtic need someone who is in form and could inject more firepower upfront. They have been linked to a move for veteran Glenn Murray and Billy Sharp over a short-term deal, but the signing of Sporar should be the topmost priority in their bid to defend the Premiership crown.
The Slovenia international is enjoying a boisterous scoring run at home as well as Europe. His poaching instincts, movement in and around the box along with the game-reading attributes will enrich the Bhoys if a deal is struck before it gets too late.
