Forget Trevor Carson, Celtic should sign Hearts’ Jon McLaughlin

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Celtic are set to make a second offer for Motherwell goalkeeper Trevor Carson.

The Daily Record have claimed Celtic are to table a second offer to sign Motherwell goalkeeper Trevor Carson on Tuesday after having an initial £200,000 offer rejected by Stephen Robinson’s side.

The 29-year-old has been in excellent form for the Well this season, keeping 10 clean sheets in 28 league and cup encounters but is guilty of conceding eight goals in three games against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

The former Liverpool and Swansea City manager is desperate to bring a new goalkeeper to Celtic Park after Craig Gordon’s collision with Efe Ambrose on Saturday has seen the Scotland international suffer a knee injury.

Gordon is now set to be sidelined for 12 months, and is unlikely to return until late April with the Hoops only boasting veteran Dorus de Vries in back-up after teenager Conor Hazard joined Falkirk on loan earlier this week.

However, if Rodgers wants to sign a Scottish Premiership goalkeeper before Wednesday’s 11pm deadline, he should forget about a second, improved offer for Carson and instead focus on luring Jon McLaughlin to Glasgow.

The 30-year-old has arguably been the best goalkeeper in Scotland this season, producing 11 clean sheets in just 21 league and cup outings after joining Craig Levein’s side from English Championship side Burton Albion in the summer.

One of those clean sheets came in the huge 4-0 win over Rodgers’ men, ending Celtic’s unbeaten run with aplomb as Kyle Lafferty, Harry Cochrane and a brace from Manuel Malinkovic saw off the Hoops.

However, the Scottish stopper was only given a one-year contract by Hearts and is now in the final months of his current deal at Tynecastle despite his heroics this season. A bargain deal could be struck to sign McLaughlin, then.

Luring McLaughlin to Celtic Park would provide the perfect back-up for Gordon upon his return, and give Rodgers a more than adept goalkeeper in the mean time. Also ex-Hearts, like Gordon, McLaughlin boasts all the ingredients necessary to shine at Celtic.