EDOUARD TRANSFER UPDATE: CELTIC BRACED FOR BID

CELTIC are bracing themselves for a multi-million pound English raid for Odsonne Edouard.

Brighton will turn their attention to the 23-year-old French striker – if they land £50million from Arsenal for centre-back Ben White who was involved in Gareth Southgate’s England Euro 2020 squad.

The prospective switch could be delayed with the defender still on holiday and not due to return until a week today which would put a medical on hold.

Boss Graham Potter is an admitted admirer of Edouard and the south coast club “have already registered their interest” in the player who is in the last 12 months of his contract, according to the Daily Express.

HEAVENS ABOVE…Odsonne Edouard celebratesone of last season’s 22 goals.

Neither Ange Postecoglou nor the Hoops hierarchy need any disruption as they prepare for tomorrow night’s Champions League second round first leg qualifier against FC Midtjylland at Parkhead, but transfer speculation is likely to follow Edouard until a deal is completed or the window closes.

Former gaffer Brendan Rodgers, who persuaded the club to pay out a record £9million to land the flamboyant forward from Paris Saint-Germain in June 2018, made an earlier move for the goalscorer last month, but his old club were not interested in a deal that fell short of their valuation of the player.

It was claimed Leicester City were prepared to put down £18million and bring the fee up to the £20million level with add-ons.

Rodgers took his interest elsewhere and splashed £28million on Patson Daka from RB Leipzig.

Edouard played for half-an-hour of the 1-0 loss to Championship outfit Preston in Glasgow at the weekend after replacing Albian Ajeti with the Swiss striker looking well off the pace.

A move for the former French Under-21 international ace would not be welcomed by Celtic at the moment with £40million up for grabs with qualification to the group stages of Europe’s elite tournament.

Brighton, though, may test the club’s resolve with a serious offer for the hitman who netted 22 goals last season after a slow star.