CELTIC are in the hunt for Rosenborg’s stylish left-back Birger Meling.
The 24-year-old defender played against the Hoops four times in Europe last season and impressed on each occasion, even scoring the Norwegian side’s goal in their 3-1 defeat at Parkhead in a Champions League qualifier in August last year.
Rosenborg rejected an undisclosed offer for 10 times-capped international Meling from MLS outfit Los Angeles FC last week.
Head coach Eirik Horneland admitted: “Birger will probably leave at some point.”
Club sporting director and former Liverpool star Stig Inge Bjornebye confirmed: “There is now an increase in activity around our players.”
Meling, in a report in the Scottish Sun, added: “I have ambitions to try something different and hope to do that some day.
“Right now we have terribly important games and we all have full understanding of what the situation is.
“We will see if new opportunities emerge for me eventually, but the timing is difficult right now. I understand this.”
Norwegian TV pundit Jesper Mathisen claimed: “Meling has been hunted a bit by Celtic. He is a player they know well.”
Neil Lennon is still searching for defensive reinforcements following the exodus of Kieran Tierney, Mikael Lustig, Dedryck Boyata, Emilio Izaguirre and Cristian Gamboa while loan stars Jeremy Toljan and Filip Benkovic have returned to their parent clubs.
He spent £3million on Rapid Vienna left-back Boli Bolingoli and £1.2million on Israeli international Hatem Abd Elhamed, who can play on the right side of the rearguard or centre-half, from Hapoel Be’er Sheva.last month.
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