Celtic summer target Cristiano Piccini may now play at Parkhead

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Celtic have drawn Valencia in the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Celtic advanced into the knockout stages of the Europa League despite defeat to Red Bull Salzburg last Thursday – and their next clash is incredibly tough.

The Bhoys saw RB Leipzig fail in their bid to qualify for the knockout stages, and their prize for making it through is a two-legged tie with Valencia.

The Spaniards couldn’t make it through a Champions League group which contained Juventus and Manchester United, and with a third-placed finish in their group, they head into the Europa League now.

They may only have three league wins this season, but have also only lost three league games, and are incredibly difficult to beat under Marcelino.

Intriguingly, Valencia may have a recent Celtic transfer target in their side, as Cristiano Piccini could finally be in action at Parkhead in February 2019.

The Italian was a £7million target for Brendan Rodgers over the summer according to the Daily Mail, but Valencia beat Celtic to his signature from Sporting in Portugal.

Piccini hasn’t exactly impressed though, and recent claims from Deporte Valenciano suggested that the 26-year-old could be offloaded early in January after struggling to show consistency.

If he is still with the club after the January transfer window, Piccini could face the manager who wanted him over the summer, and may have a chance to show what Celtic missed out on.