A TRIO of former Celtic stars are involved in the usual transfer stampede at this time of the season.
The SPFL have extended the deadline by 24 hours to give clubs time to complete their business by midnight on September 1.
For a host of other European countries, the last chance to register signings is within the next 12 days.
CQN has been looking at the market place and three former favourites who could be on the move.
MOUSSA DEMBELE
The powerhouse striker is poised to quit Lyon and that has alerted a number of clubs, former side Fulham among them.
Dembele, who was signed on a £500,000 cross-border deal from the Craven Cottage outfit by Brendan Rodgers in the summer of 2016, left the Hoops in a £19.8million switch to his homeland two years later.
But the 26-year-old international hitman, who claimed 22 goals last term, is under pressure following the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette from Arsenal.
Manchester United, Spurs, Everton and Southampton are also monitoring his situation, but their ambitions could be scuppered by Italian giants Juventus, according to a report in the Daily Record.
CUP THAT CHEERS…Moussa Dembele holds aloft the 2018 Scottish Cup.
The Serie A club could sign the raider NEXT summer when he comes out of contract which would mean the Ligue 1 club missing out on transfer cash and Dembele picking up a whopping signing-on fee.
The Serie A side have utilised the same strategy in the past in bringing in the likes of Aaron Ramsey from Arsenal and Paul Pogba from the Old Trafford side.
If the Turin club are successful in their manoeuvres it will mean the Hoops will miss out on a sell-on windfall.
The Parkhead club inserted the clause in the player’s switch to Lyon which would entitle them to something in the region of 20 per cent of the profit on Dembele’s next move.
The former Parkhead favourite has already rejected a contract extension from the French club and reports suggest the forward could sit out the remaining months of his current deal and pick up a cash windfall in a year’s time.
DEDRYCK BOYATA
The Belgian international centre-back, who was brought to Celtic by Ronny Deila in a cut-price £1.5million move from Manchester City in June 2015, is poised for a switch to Spanish aces Valencia.
The 31-year-old stopper, who quit Parkhead for Hertha Berlin in 2019 after winning eight trophies including four titles, has been told he can leave the German outfit.
Boyata was named skipper of the Bundesliga club, but was stripped of the honour in the pre-season in favour of Marvin Plattenhardt and informed he was surplus to requirements by head coach Sandro Schwarz.
SMILES BETTER…Dedryck Boyata with the 2018 Betfred Leaue Cup.
The classy defender still has two years left on his deal and the La Liga club are keen to land him on loan.
However, Hertha would prefer a permanent deal to sell Boyata and the clubs are negotiating a deal as the deadline edges closer.
The Berlin club’s sports director Fredi Bobic made scathing remarks about the ex-Celt when he was reported in the Scottish Sun as saying: “At the moment, we don’t feel Dedryck is bringing anything to the club. He is contributing nothing.
“And unless he has a huge change and suddenly convinces us in training, then his situation won’t alter.”
LEWIS MORGAN
The winger, a surprise £300,000 signing from St Mirren by Brendan Rodgers in January 2018, could be on his way out of MLS outfit New York Red Bulls.
The Scotland international is on the wanted list of Championship side Huddersfield Town after Millwall failed in a loan bid.
Morgan has claimed 11 goals in 25 league appearances this season, including an early hat-trick away to Toronto.
The Big Apple club, who signed the 25-year-old attacker from Inter Miami in December last year, are bracing themselves for bids for the tricky Scot, but are not interested in bids of around the £750,000 mark for a player who cost £1million eight months ago.
SILVERWARE CELT…Lewis Morgan puts pressure on Ibrox defender Filip Helander during Celtic’s 1-0 League Cup triumph in December 2019 – one of his last games for the Hoops.
Morgan scored two goals in 31 appearances for the Hoops before he was sold to David Beckham’s Miami outfit for something in the region of £450,000 in January 2020.
He played in the 1-0 victory over Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox club the previous month when a strike from Christopher Jullien won the Betfred League Cup.
Morgan was taken off in the second-half to make way for Odsonne Edouard just moments before the only goal of the game.
It was one of his last outings for the Parkhead team.
