Celtic's goalkeeper search appears to have taken them down South, with fresh links now emerging over a move for Gavin Bazunu amid ongoing talks with Balazs Toth.
The Bhoys need a new keeper this summer after seeing Kasper Schmeichel leave the club through retirement early in the summer. Viljami Sinisalo has been holding down the fort so far, and to his credit, he has produced plenty of steady performances between the end of last season and the start of this one.
Sinisalo may be forcing Martin O'Neill to consider signing a back-up keeper rather than a starter, though one would imagine that if Toth arrives on a ÂŁ4million deal from Blackburn Rovers as rumoured, then he would become the new starter.
A deal is not certain, though, and Celtic are said to have other irons in the fire.
Celtic considering Bazanu alternative
According to the Daily Echo, both Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb are currently considering making an offer for Bazanu, who is a 22-time Republic of Ireland international. Bazanu was a regular for Southampton in the Championship before their last promotion, and he then played 32 of their 38 Premier League games.
He started last season as the starter but ultimately lost his starting job after 19 league appearances, leading to a Stoke City loan spell.
The problem is that Bazanu remains a highly rated goalkeeper, still only 24 years of age, and he carries a reported asking price of around ÂŁ7million. That would be a huge investment in a goalkeeper for Celtic, even if Rangers have invested that money in a stopper this summer, signing Ivor Pandur from Hull City.
But in Celtic's case, they may already feel as though Sinisalo can be the number one, and O'Neill is said to want a keeper who can challenge Sinisalo for the starting role. Spending ÂŁ7million on a goalkeeper is undoubtedly signing a new starting goalkeeper, and the Bhoys may well be better served spending their resources elsewhere.
Las Palmas keeper Dinko Horkas, who was linked for much of the summer, would have been a cheaper option, and Toth is certainly a cheaper option, reportedly available for around ÂŁ4million.
For Celtic to spend as much as ÂŁ7million when there are other good options available for cheaper would be a surprise, especially with so many other areas of O'Neill's squad still in need of addressing before the September 3 transfer deadline.
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