Celtic continue to be linked with midfielder Jose Cifuentes.
According to The Sun, Watford have now joined Celtic in the race for America de Quito midfielder Jose Cifuentes.
Cifuentes, 20, made a name for himself with some strong displays at the Under-20 World Cup earlier this year, impressing with Ecuador.
That sparked interest from Manchester City, whilst Neil Lennon confirmed to The Scottish Sun that he was on Celtic’s radar too.
Now, it’s claimed that whilst Celtic are still very keen on Cifuentes, they now face a new challenge for his signature, with Watford interested.
It’s believed that Quique Sanchez Flores is particularly interested in the midfielder, and would even be keen to see him immediately play in the Premier League.
Heading out on loan would be more likely, but it’s a sign of just how much the midfielder is impressing that Sanchez Flores would be open to playing him immediately.
America de Quito allegedly wanted around £2.5million for Cifuentes over the summer, and we may now see Celtic and Watford go head-to-head for him in 2020.
That would leave the youngster with a tough decision; head straight to the Premier League, or establish himself in British football whilst playing in Europe with Celtic.
Primarily a defensive midfielder, Cifuentes could beef up the Celtic midfield and be viewed as a potential heir to Scott Brown, but with Watford lurking, they could well miss out.
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