Celtic are said to be interested in the FC Basel man.
The Scottish Daily Mail (24/07 print edition, page 82) report that Celtic have defender Silvan Widmer in their sights during this summer’s transfer window.
Journalist Stephen McGowan writes that Neil Lennon is looking to sign a second right-back after the capture of Hatem Abd Elhamed, with the Hoops boss refusing to name his top target to journalists ahead of Celtic’s match against Nomme Kalju.
However Widmer is a contender, with the club having “run checks” on the player, the report states.
Widmer is a nine-cap Swiss international who currently plays with FC Basel in his homeland.
No potential fee is reported in the Scottish Daily Mail, but Transfermarkt shows that he made the switch to Basel from Serie A club Udinese for a fee of £4.05m last summer, so is unlikely to come cheap.
Basel may be looking for something of a squad refresh after finishing a massive 20 points behind Young Boys in the Swiss Super League in 2018/19.
They’re taking part in the UEFA Champions League qualifying process just like Celtic, but face a harder route to the group stages and narrowly lost to PSV Eindhoven in their second qualifying round first leg on Tuesday.
Widmer made 41 appearances for the club last term so how realistic it is that the Hoops can go out and sign him remains to be seen, since he is apparently a key player and a key asset given his transfer fee.
If nothing else, the Daily Mail report suggests that Celtic aren’t content just adding Elhamed to their squad for the new season and will be looking to add more quality and depth to the right-back position. It’s badly needed.
Lennon fielded a 3-5-2 formation to great success at Celtic Park on Wednesday night but options and flexibility will be crucial as the team look to compete across four competitions over the coming season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
