Celtic want Vinicius Souza but allegedly face an uphill battle convincing the Lommel midfielder to make the move to Glasgow this summer.
The Bhoys have snapped up Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent basis and are now in the hunt for more additions.
A new midfielder will be high on the wish list even though Yosuke Ideguchi joined the club in January.
Nir Bitton has moved on Celtic will want competition for the likes of Ideguchi, Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor and James McCarthy.
A couple of names have been mentioned but the strongest rumour right now surrounds that of Vinicius Souza.
Celtic want Vinicius Souza
Celtic are believed to be keen on signing Lommel midfielder Souza after a superb season out on loan at Mechelen.
The Daily Mail reported over the weekend that Celtic fancy signing Souza this summer.
They did though note that Fenerbahce, Club Brugge and Bologna are also keen, meaning Celtic face a major battle.
The Daily Record now claim that Celtic face a battle to convince Souza to join given the other options available.
It’s stated that Souza wants to play in Europe and Celtic have some hope given that they have Champions League football on offer.
Genk and PSV Eindhoven are also in the race, meaning Celtic must pull out all the stops to win the race.
Souza, 22, came through the Flamengo ranks before heading to Lommel in 2020.
Souza, primarily a holding midfielder, excelled on loan at Mechelen last summer and is now a wanted man.
It’s worth noting that Souza’s club Lommel are part of the City Football Group.
So were Yokohama F Marinos when Ange Postecoglou left Japan to become Celtic boss.
Celtic’s new head of recruitment Mark Lawwell was also a key man in the City Football Group, meaning he will be aware of Souza’s quality.
That may explain why Souza has popped up on the Celtic radar, but signing him could prove to be a major fight this summer.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
