Juventus in advanced talks to sign Celtic midfield target via brilliant free transfer | OneFootball

Celtic’s hopes of landing RB Leipzig midfielder Xaver Schlager in the January transfer window appear to be fading, with Italian giants Juventus closing in on a deal for the Austrian international, we can confirm.

The 28-year-old, whose contract at the Red Bull Arena expires at the end of the season, has attracted attention from several clubs due to his impending free-agent status in the summer. Schlager, a versatile and energetic central midfielder with 49 caps for Austria, has been a reliable performer for Leipzig since his £12million move from Wolfsburg in 2022.

This term, he has featured regularly in the Bundesliga, contributing two goals in 15 appearances.

Sources indicate that Celtic made enquiries about a possible mid-season switch, with Leipzig said to be open to a modest fee of around £6m (€7m / $8m) to avoid losing him for nothing later.

Martin O’Neill’s side viewed the player as a potential boost to their midfield options.

However, Juventus have surged ahead in the pursuit. The Turin club are at an advanced stage in negotiations for a pre-contract agreement that would see Schlager arrive on a free transfer in July.

Juventus, seeking to strengthen their engine room under their current management, see Schlager as an ideal addition given his experience in high-level competitions, including the Champions League.

RB Leipzig are also open to extending. Indeed, sporting director Marcel Schafer recently confirmed positive discussions with Schlager over a potential contract extension, but a move to Juventus is seen as attractive.

Schlager himself is understood to be weighing up his options carefully, with no firm commitment yet to extend his stay in Germany.

Second Celtic target named

The allure of Serie A football and the prestige of Juventus could prove decisive, especially as Celtic face stiff competition from a club with greater financial resources and continental pedigree.

It’s been a poor window for Celtic so far and they need to add more quality in the last few days to give them the strongest chance in a very tight title race.

Celtic are in active talks to sign Hungarian winger Damir Redzic. We revealed Celtic made an enquiry for the 22-year-old on January 20.