Celtic plot move to sign £12m Southampton star | OneFootball

Celtic have joined the race for Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu as further exit speculation arises

Southampton are poised to sanction a series of exits before the summer transfer window slams shut and Gavin Bazunu is among those expected to depart Tonda Eckert's side, with Scottish giants Celtic now joining the race to land the shot-stopper's services in the coming days and weeks.

The Saints have undertaken a solid summer of activity despite being tipped to lose numerous star performers in the wake of the well-documented Spygate scandal at the end of the previous campaign, with Shea Charles' bumper £30 million switch to Fulham representing the only high-profile permanent departure as the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Caspar Jander and Leo Scienza all remain in Hampshire at this moment in time.

Head coach Eckert will intend on bolstering his side with further additions alongside Lewis Dobbin, Divin Mubama and the permanent arrivals of Cyle Larin and Daniel Peretz in the remainder of the window while trimming the fat and offloading fringe squad members, many of whom have been strongly-linked with moves away from Southampton.

Bazunu is, of course, one of those players likely to leave St Mary's Stadium before the deadline day clock arrives and passes, and a new update on the 24-year-old's future has now emerged.

Celtic join Dinamo Zagreb in Southampton, Gavin Bazunu transfer race

It has transpired that Celtic have entered contention to acquire Bazunu from Southampton, with Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb having registered a surprise interest in securing the goalkeeper's signature in recent times.

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Now, as reported by Alfie House of The Echo on Wednesday morning, Celtic are considering a move for Bazunu alongside the Croatian top-flight champions, as the former Manchester City prospect prepares to leave the south coast before the window is up.

At this moment in time, exactly how Celtic's interest in the shot-stopper will develop remains unclear amid the Old Firm side's active pursuit of Blackburn Rovers 'keeper Balasz Toth, although it's clear that Bazunu represents a target of Martin O'Neill and co as speculation surrounding his expected exit from Southampton continues to intensify heading into the final stages of the summer.

Bazunu, who joined the Saints in a reported £12 million deal from Man City back in 2022 after flourishing on loan with bitter rivals Portsmouth, has fallen down the club's pecking order in recent times amid a succession of destabilising injury setbacks, having spent time at Championship rivals Stoke City in the second-half of last season.

The 22-cap Republic of Ireland international finds himself in a difficult situation at Southampton, with the five-year contract he penned to join currently having just one year remaining.

That means he will become a free agent next summer as it stands, although the short time left to run on Bazunu's present terms doesn't necessarily make a sale inevitable despite the fact that he failed to even feature at all in pre-season.

It would, most likely, be Southampton's preference after a challenging couple of seasons and so many shot-stopping options already at Eckert's disposal - including fellow fringe member Aaron Ramsdale - but clubs often loan out peripheral players in the final year of their contracts to let their deals naturally run out if an appropriate fee cannot be struck.

Therefore, exactly what sort of deal Celtic could look to engineer is open to debate. However, many at Southampton would surely prefer a permanent departure in order to recoup any small part of the eight-figure expense to City some four years ago, with Bazunu's stock having fallen rather dramatically in recent seasons.

Bazunu endured a disappointing 2025/26 campaign, which he started as the Saints' first-choice shot-stopper following a loan spell with Standard Liege before losing his place after a string of shaky showings and then flattering to deceive at Stoke.

Gavin Bazunu's Southampton exit is best for all parties as Celtic lurk

The Irishman may struggle to believe just how far his reputation has nosedived after joining Southampton with a reputation as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in the country, although the reality is that he has failed to meet expectations and the club's investment for large parts of his tenure - even at Championship level, let alone in the Premier League.

Therefore, Bazunu urgently requires a fresh start elsewhere to regain confidence and revive his career away from Southampton, although he still has plenty of time to come good and realise his potential at the age of 24.

That's not going to be at Southampton, though, where he has fallen all the way down to third-choice under Eckert and could follow suit from many players over the years in heading north of the border with Celtic to reignite his fortunes.

Southampton are keen to offload Bazunu, that much is clear, and the 'keeper himself should be pushing to depart in an effort to relaunch his career and get a run of games to prove his worth once again at a new club.