Celtic are now in the closing stages of their deal to sign a new striker, with a medical having started.. The Bhoys agreed an £11million deal with Bodo/Glimt to sign striker Kasper Hogh late last week.
Martin O'Neill was left with a gap in his front line after failing to agree a new contract with Kelechi Iheanacho. The Bhoys wanted to agree a structured deal to protect themselves against the risk of injury, but having proven himself towards the end of last season, and being an experienced player, Iheanacho was always going to value himself more than that.
Turkish second tier side Bursaspor wound up offering a solid deal with an extra year, and Iheanacho made the move. That left Celtic with a gap to fill up top, with only two strikers at their disposal, assuming Johnny Kenny is sold, as expected.
Danish striker Hogh will now fill that spot, and a deal is nearing completion.
Hogh touches down for medical
As reported by Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, Hogh was filmed arriving in London for his Celtic medical. He posted on X: "UPDATE: Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Hogh has arrived in the UK ahead of his £11m move to Celtic. The Denmark international is in London, pictured at Biggin Hill Airport this afternoon, and is due to undergo a medical on Monday."
As mentioned, the deal is worth £11million initially, but there are also add-ons that will take the total value up beyond that.
Hogh has been in fine form this season, scoring seven times in 12 league games, with the Norwegian season ongoing. He also has experience scoring in the Champions League, scoring five times, as many as his new teammate Camilo Duran has managed in the competition.
The deal is a statement from Celtic, who have been much-criticised over their business this summer. Hogh will become the club's third most expensive signing of all time, moving ahead of Odsonne Edouard and just a touch behind Arne Engels, who joined for a little over £11million. Jota remains the most expensive signing, having joined for close to £14million.
The added benefit of the Hogh deal is that the striker does not require a pre-season, given he is already 12 games into a league campaign, so he should be ready to go come Monday night when the Bhoys open their Scottish Premiership campaign against Dundee. He should also get the best part of a week of training under his belt with his new teammates, likely to start training on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google