The Celtic defender is attracting interest from France.
Last week the paper reported that Ligue 1 side Lille were interested in the player and this week they are carrying quotes from their manager Christophe Galtier confirming that he is a fan of the Croatian centre-back.
It’s said that they are looking to sell players to directly fund the transfer, valuing Simunovic at around £5m.
There’s no indication whether Celtic are keen on letting go of the 24-year-old, but if they sanction the potential deal then they’d be making a big mistake.
Simunovic has been one of the most improved players at the club since Neil Lennon joined for his second spell in charge, forming a partnership with Kristoffer Ajer that helped Celtic get over the line in both the league and Scottish Cup.
His presence has been crucial in providing a smooth defensive transition from last season to this one, with both Dedryck Boyata and Filip Benkovic leaving the club in between.
Celtic have invested in new signing Christopher Jullien, but there’s no reason to think that Simunovic won’t get plenty of action over the next 12 months alongside the Frenchman or Ajer, even if he’s not the guaranteed first-choice in the position.
Beyond that trio the Hoops have very little quality to provide depth, with just Jack Hendry or midfielder Nir Bitton available to fill in currently.
It’s not a guarantee that the right quality of player would become available to replace Simunovic before the end of the transfer window so selling him before that man arrives would be a very bad decision, especially with European qualifiers ongoing.
Not only that but the reported £5m fee seems low for a player of Simunovic’s ability and experience.
When you consider that clubs like Aberdeen are turning down similar fees for Scott McKenna, as reported by The Scottish Sun, Celtic could hold out for a more significant offer.
McKenna was part of a defence that conceded more goals than all but one of the sides in the Scottish Premiership top six last season, while Simunovic is a big part of a squad that has won three successive trebles.
The time may come when Celtic have to make a serious decision on the defender’s future, but right now they should be rebuffing Lille’s interest.
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