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Curtains for Cvancara as Celtic identify cheap summer transfer target with 20 goals

Celtic have identified their ideal striker for next season and it hurts Cvancara's hopes of a permanent transfer.
Rangers v Celtic - Scottish Gas Scottish Cup
Rangers v Celtic - Scottish Gas Scottish Cup | Craig Foy - SNS Group/GettyImages

Plymouth Argyle forward Lorent Tolaj is attracting more interest due to his performances this season, with Celtic being one of the clubs interested for a while.

The Swiss forward has scored 20 goals in 35 appearances, registering five assists this season. Understandably, he has gotten some suitors as a result of his good performances.

The Hoops have been interested in him for a while, with the player reportedly being willing to contract them to a wage of under £10,000 per week. He would likely only cost a few million pounds as well, making it affordable for the Parkhead side.

Back in February, Turkish clubs were interested in the player, with Goztepe being one of the notable ones. Minnesota United and Montreal in the MLS were keen on him too.

Now, unnamed English Championship sides want to sign him up, but whether they will be able to beat off European outfits is another question.

Celtic are desperate for a solid striker

One of Celtic's biggest problems this season has been the lack of a solid striker. Callum Osmand picked up an injury shortly after finding his form, Junior Adamu and Tomas Cvancara have been lacklustre since joining in the winter window, and Kelechi Iheanacho has struggled with his fitness.

In the summer, they will be looking for a player who is guaranteed to provide goals, and Tolaj is a very good option. He has already shown that he can do it in a competitive league, so he should be able to handle the pressure cooker that is Glasgow.

Cvancara is keen on a permanent move to Glasgow, but with this news, it seems unlikely that the club will go through with any transfer. He has not hit the heights that were expected of him, and he'll now pay the price for it.

Martin O'Neill will not be the manager for next season, which could hinder the Hoops. They would ideally be looking to get negotiations started very soon, but with no new manager confirmed yet, transfer work will need to wait.

The last thing Celtic needs is to bring another 'club signing' through the door, only for him to fail drastically. Tolaj may well fit the next manager's style of play, but it's better to wait than to regret yet another deal.

As time goes on though, the list of clubs interested in the striker will only grow. Soon, it could be Premier League clubs if any of them fancy taking a gamble, and we all know that the Hoops sadly can't compete with the finances offered south of the border.

We'll need to wait and see, but it is good that Celtic have such a class player on their shortlist.

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