Former Hibernian ace Tam McManus admits he would be ‘very surprised’ if Celtic did not attempt to sign goalkeeper Ofir Marciano from Easter Road during the summer transfer window.
Could Hibs’ loss be Celtic’s gain?
After four years in Edinburgh, Marciano may be about to make the short trip from Scotland’s capital to the East End of Glasgow.
The 6ft 4ins shot-stopper has already confirmed that he will be leaving Hibernian when his contract expires in July and, with Celtic scouring the market for a new number one, Marciano may be sharing a dressing room with fellow Israel international Nir Bitton next term (Edinburgh Live).
McManus, who played for Hibs between 1998 and 2005, believes there is more to this than mere paper talk.
Marciano, he says, would be the ideal addition for a club crying out for a commanding presence between the sticks.
Throughout a miserable 2020/21 campaign, neither Scott Bain, Conor Hazard nor Vasilis Barkas managed to really establish themselves as Celtic’s number one.
Barkas, a £5 million signing from AEK Athens, could even be on his way back to Greece after just 13 largely error-strewn Premiership appearances (Sporttime).
Marciano, at least, would arrive with a proven track record in Scotland’s top-flight. Neil Lennon, the recently-departed Celtic boss, even labelled him ‘world-class’ during their time together at Easter Road.
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