Celtic and Sunderland look set to miss out on Maribor striker Zan Vipotnik with the striker set to replace the potentially Rangers-bound Josh Maja while joining Bordeaux for a fee of up to £4.2 million.
Last month, the Slovenia international’s agent confirmed to Football Scotland that Celtic had shown an ‘interest’ in his much-coveted client.
“Yes, there is interest from Celtic for a summer transfer,” Sasa Zupan said. “But there a lot of clubs who want to sign Zan when the window opens.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Zan Vipotnik, according to reports, is on the radar of Serie A duo Lecce and Empoli. Club Brugge too, plus a number of clubs based in the German Bundesliga. There is also Eredivisie champions Sevilla, and Europa League winners Sevilla.
Sunderland, meanwhile, were willing to offer Vipotnik the chance to make a name for himself in England.
Celtic and Sunderland miss out on Zan Vipotnik
So do not underestimate just how impressive a piece of business this is for a Bordeaux side who missed out on promotion to France’s top flight last season, and were facing questions about their very existence amid spiralling debts just 12 months ago.
According to L’Equipe and Tuttomercatoweb, Vipotnk will sign a five-year deal at the Matmut Atlantique. Bordeaux will pay around £2.5 million up front; the deal rising to £4.2 million with bonuses.
Vipotnik scored 23 goals in 32 games last season. His arrival will help Bordeaux move on from the talismanic Josh Maja, who’s departure was confirmed on Tuesday. Maja, reportedly on the radar of Celtic’s Old Firm rivals Rangers, opted not to sign a new contract after Bordeaux finished just outside of the promotion spots in Ligue 2.
Sunderland, meanwhile, will remain in the market for a centre-forward. Joe Gelhardt has returned to parent club Leeds United, while Ross Stewart has already been ruled out of the start of next term due to an ongoing achilles problem.
“I’m hoping there’s still a few more new faces to come into the building,” Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray tells the Northern Echo. “We could probably do with some help up the top end of the pitch.
“If you think that Ross isn’t quite ready yet, then we’ve only really got young Hemir Luis Semedo. But he is still a boy. And it’s a lot of burden for him to be the only senior striker that we’ve got.
“We could probably do with some help at the top end of the pitch over the next few weeks. I’m sure we’re working very hard behind the scenes on that.”
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