Celtic backed to crush Leeds’ hopes of signing Champions League sensation | OneFootball

Celtic have reportedly emerged as the favourites, ahead of Premier League side Leeds United, to sign an attacking star who has made a real impression in this season’s Champions League.

The Hoops are currently in the midst of one of the most exciting title races in Scotland in years, sitting just two points behind leaders Hearts, with Old Firm rivals Rangers also firmly in the mix.

Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill will be hoping to deliver another league title before he signs off at the end of the season, with thoughts already turning to transfer targets for the summer.

Whoever replaces the Northern Irishman at Parkhead is expected to be given a stronger squad to compete with, especially in the forward areas.

And, according to Football Insider, Celtic are more likely than Leeds to land Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Hogh this summer.

TEAMtalk sources recently revealed how Daniel Farke’s side have sent scouts to watch Hogh and his attacking teammate Jens Petter Hauge, with a view to a potential double summer swoop.

Danish striker Hogh scored five goals and added three assists in Bodo/Glimt’s Champions League adventure this season, a run that came to end on Tuesday evening as they crashed to a 5-3 aggregate defeat to Sporting.

The report states that after his exploits in Europe this season, if he were to leave Bodo this summer then he would want to play in the UCL again next term.

While Celtic’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League still very much alive, Leeds have no hope of playing in any European competition next season.

With Celtic set for a ‘significant’ rebuild this summer, deals for players of the quality of Hogh cannot be ruled out.

This season, the 25-year-old scored twice in a famous 3-1 win against Manchester City, before netting the winner in a 2-1 victory away at Atletico Madrid that took them through to the knockout stages of the competition.

That sort of form has alerted clubs across Europe for a player who could cost up to £15million, a fee that would not be out of Celtic’s reach if they qualify for the Champions League again.

A fresh report has delivered an update on Celtic’s chances of signing left-back Andy Robertson from Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

Elsewhere, we can reveal that a three-way battle to secure the appointment of Robbie Keane is beginning to gather pace, with Celtic firmly in the mix.

Finally, as the summer transfer window approaches, a top Cologne defensive midfielder finds himself at the centre of growing speculation, and a move to Celtic could be part of that, sources have told us.