CELTIC have been linked with Lausanne’s £4.3million-rated midfielder Alvyn Sanches.
Brendan Rodgers is making sure the champions will not be short of numbers if Matt O’Riley’s asking price of around the £25million mark is met before the transfer deadline on August 30.
Persistent Atalanta have just had their fifth bid booted out for the Denmark international as they continue to fall short of the valuation of the player who has become pivotal to the Hoops’ set-up and still has three years to run on his contract.
The Serie A side’s latest offer of £21.5million plus £2million in add-ons has once again been routinely rejected by the Parkhead powerbrokers.
ON THE BALL…Lausanne midfielder Alvyn Sanches is attracting attentions.
Celtic’s two previous record high departure deals were the £25million payments that saw defender Kieran Tierney move to Arsenal and winger Filipe Jota switch to Al-Ittihad.
Unless there is a club willing to match or better that fee they should stop wasting everyone’s time and look elsewhere for cut-price bargains.
In the meantime, Rodgers is making certain the squad will be covered and Switzerland Under-21 international Sanches has come onto his radar, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Celtic will face competition if they move for the playmaker with Belgium pair Anderlecht and Club Brugge, France’s Nice and English duo Burnley and Coventry City also monitoring the youngster.
It is anticipated Sanches, 21, will be on his way within the next fortnight.
THE CHALLENGER…Luke McCowan tries to dispossess Kyogo Furushashi during Celtic’s 2-1 win over Dundee at Dens Park in April.
The champions have also been keeping an eye on 20-year-old Belgian Arne Engels, who is valued in the £10million bracket by Bundesliga club Augsburg.
Dundee’s Luke McCowan is another who has been mentioned and Sunday’s League Cup opponents Hibs have just had a £750,000 bid knocked back for the industrious middle-of-the-park operator.
However, the Dens Park skipper would have to accept being a squad player at the Hoops – if Rodgers gives any move the green light.
That may not suit ambitious 26-year-old McCowan at this stage of his career.
