Celtic set to battle Championship side for transfer target

Celtic’s rumored pursuit of the Championship star seems to be heating up, as newly relegated Bournemouth have also entered the transfer chase.

It is no secret that Celtic are in need of another left-back after having confirmed the loan departure of Boli Bolingoli earlier today. And one of the candidates that they are interested in is Preston North End’s Ben Davies. The 25-year-old English defender has one year left on his current deal with the Lilywhites and is capable of playing both at left-back and centre-back.

Having been with the club since 2013, it appears he has been pursuing a move for this transfer window. Neil Lennon has been rumored to be of interest in the young defender, as his versatility will clearly be an asset to the club.

With the squad recently nabbing Shane Duffy on a loan deal (who proved an integral part of the squad’s 5-0 win yesterday), the signing of Davies will help provide some rotation and depth to the Hoops defense even if he does not end up being a starter.

Davies made 38 appearances for the Championship club last season, with an 86% tackle success rate and just two yellow cards. Still young, Davies could develop into a fairly decent defender for the Hoops if a transfer were to happen.

However, with Bournemouth reportedly joining in the pursuit with a £5 million bid, the Hoops will have to spend quickly to get the deal done. Them spending such money at this point of time looks unlikely though.

Celtic are also rumored to be one of multiple clubs pursuing a deal for Omar Colley from Sampdoria. Just a few of the clubs that have shown interest recently in the 27-year-old Gambian defender include Burnley, Rennes, and Southampton. A consistent player for Sampdoria as well as his international side, Colley could be a much more developed option than Davies, but would come with a potential price tag potentially over £10 million.