Five facts about Celtic’s latest transfer target, Romanian playmaker Ovidiu Popescu

Follow us on Google Discover

Celtic are allegedly keen on Steaua Bucharest star Ovidiu Popescu.

Manchester City’s Yaya Toure in action with Steaua Bucharest’s Ovidiu Popescu

Celtic have wrapped up the Scottish Premiership title, and with another Champions League qualifying campaign on the horizon, manager Brendan Rodgers will be eyeing summer additions.

Rodgers made a couple of impressive signings last summer, bringing in the likes of Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair, and he will be hoping for similar success this time around.

Already, Cetlic are being linked with players; Steaua Bucharest owner George Becali has been quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that Celtic are interested in signing playmaker Ovidiu Popescu ahead of the summer transfer window.

Popescu may not be a household name for many Celtic fans, so here are five facts about the Bhoys’ latest alleged transfer target…

1. Popescu, 23, started his career with UTA Arad, but it was his performances for Poli Timisoara that earned him a move to Steaua Bucharest last summer.

2. The midfielder, who can also play at right back, has scored three times in 30 appearances for Steaua, and even featured in their Champions League qualifiers against Manchester City last summer.

Manchester City’s Yaya Toure in action with Steaua Bucharest’s Ovidiu Popescu

3. Whilst now considered to be one of the top midfielders in Romanian football, Popescu has seven caps for the Romanian Under-21’s to his name, but is surprisingly yet to be capped by Romania at senior level.

4. When discussing Celtic’s interest in Popescu, Steaua chief Becali claimed that his prized midfielder is similar to Frank Lampard, but has a release clause of £8million in his deal.

5. Becali also believes that Popescu would be worth £25million one day, which would obliterate Adrian Mutu’s record as the most expensive Romanian player in history – and a move to Celtic would make him the first Romanian to play a first-team game for the Bhoys.

Would you like to see Celtic sign Popescu?