Celtic are looking to sign Ofir Marciano after Jack Ross admitted the Hibernian goalkeeper will be leaving Easter Road on a free transfer when the transfer window opens, as reported by Edinburgh Live.
The Premiership high-flyers may have succeeded in keeping Kevin Nisbet and Ryan Porteous in the capital during the January transfer window.
But, with Marciano’s contract expiring in July, Hibs will be powerless to stop one of the division’s finest shot-stoppers from riding off into the sunset. Not that they haven’t tried, of course.
“Ofir won’t accept the deal, won’t be taking up the offer of the contract beyond the expiry of the current one in the summer,” former Sunderland and St Mirren coach Ross tells Edinburgh Live.
“He has been open about that with me. We offered him the best we could within our structure, but I think he’s at an important part of his career in terms of his future.
“He feels like his future lies elsewhere.”
20-cap Israel international Marciano has been linked with a return to his homeland. But, according to reports emerging at the weekend, Celtic is another potential destination if the 31-year-old wants to extend his stay in Scotland.
It’s no secret the Hoops are eyeing a new number one after Vasilis Barkas, Conor Hazard and Scott Bain shared the goalkeeping duties between them under Neil Lennon.
Dundee United’s Benjamin Siegrist has also been linked but, speaking last week, the Swiss ace admitted he was loving life at Tannadice. And, unlike Marciano, Siegrist has 14 months remaining on his contract.
Interestingly, Marciano spent three years under Neil Lennon at Hibernian, establishing himself as one of the country’s finest shot-stoppers under the recently departed Celtic boss.
In fact, Lennon even described Marciano as “world class” in 2017.
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