Premier League duo Liverpool and Watford tried to sign Hearts goalkeeper Harry Stone but will Scottish Premiership champions Celtic get their man?
Celtic are interested in signing highly-rated Hearts goalkeeper Harry Stone, according to Edinburgh Live, after Liverpool and Watford expressed an interest.
The Hoops are always on the lookout for exciting, homegrown talent and they have a history when it comes to raiding their Scottish Premiership rivals for a diamond in the rough. And Stone, it seems, could soon follow in the footsteps of Ryan Christie, Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven and co.
The 6ft 3ins shot-stopper has been tipped for very big things at Hearts but, with his contract due to expire in 2021, Daniel Stendel’s side face a challenge keeping hold of their talented teenager, even if they did stand firm in the face of interest from Premier League duo Liverpool and Watford.
A modern, technically gifted glovesman who is as comfortable starting attacks from the back as he is making impressive reflex stops, Stone has been compared to current Celtic ‘keeper Craig Gordon, who also rose through the ranks at Tynecastle before making a then-record-breaking £9 million move to Sunderland.
Stendel thinks very highly of Stone, promoting him to the first-team picture at the expense of 34-year-old Colin Doyle since taking over at Hearts in December.
It remains to be seen, however, if the Edinburgh giants can convince the Scotland youth star to reject a move to the country’s dominant force.
With Gordon entering his final few years at the top level and with Fraser Forster only on loan from Southampton, not to mention the fact that Scott Bain fell out of favour after a series of high-profile errors, there may soon be room at Celtic for a new goalkeeper.
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