The Bolton Wanderers midfielder was pictured at Celtic Park on Thursday.
Celtic’s hopes of cut-price deal for Luca Connell have been dashed, according to The Bolton News.
The Bolton Wanderers midfielder was shown around Celtic on Thursday, with the Bhoys boss, Neil Lennon, later confirming via The Scottish Sun that talks to sign him are ongoing, adding: “We believe he’s available on a free transfer.”
But The Bolton News reports the Trotters have since turned down a request from Connell to terminate his scholarship contract a year early.
The newspaper claims Celtic would only have to pay £250,000 in compensation should Connell secure his release, but speculates that Bolton are willing to stand firm and insist that if he is to leave, it will be for a transfer fee negotiated with them.
And that could cause concern for Celtic, who may struggle to compete in that regard with the teenager’s rumoured English Premier League suitors, Tottenham, Southampton, Brighton, Burnley, Sheffield United and Norwich City.
The Bhoys have already been forced to postpone their pursuit of another promising midfielder, David Turnbull of Motherwell, after a medical at the club uncovered an issue that requires “immediate preventative surgery and subsequent rehabilitation”.
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