The agent of Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo admits he’s held talks with Celtic scout Craig Strachan about the £20 million-rated Championship frontman, speaking to Football Scotland.
Last week, Bristol City coach Craig Fleming admitted that expects to see the club’s array of exciting young talent, including Semenyo, Han-Noah Massengo and Alex ‘the Guernsey Grealish’ Scott, stay for another season at Ashton Gate.
Whether this is merely wishful thinking remains to be seen.
But with The Robins slapping a £20 million price-tag on Semenyo’s head, it seems unlikely that Celtic will be luring the former Sunderland loanee north of the border any time soon.
The Hoops board have backed Ange Postecogklou to the hilt in the transfer market since taking charge last year. But £20 million on one player? That’s surely a bit rich for Celtic’s blood.
Can Celtic afford Bristol City’s Antoine Semenyo?
“I had a conversation with Strachan who rang up to ask little bits of info on the player and a bit about how I found him and what he’s like as a lad,” Tony Finnigan, the striker’s agent, explains.
“That was it. If it’s something they’re going to do in the summer window I’m not sure. But it’s nice to know that his talents are going as far as Scotland.(Celtic are) one of great institutions in world football.
“There’s not really much more to say than that.”
Football Scotland add that Red Bull Salzburg, a club with a remarkable track record when it comes to signing, developing and then selling on exciting young forwards, are interested in Semenyo.
Erling Haaland, Takumi Minamino, Patson Daka, Hwang Hee-Chan and the Dortmund-bound Karim Adeyemi have all graduated from Salzburg’s feted finishing school in recent years.
Nottingham Forest also had a bid rejected in the January transfer window.
Semenyo has six goals and eight assists this term, most of those coming since the turn of the year. He was named the Championship’s Player of the Month for January too.
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