CELTIC midfielder Stefan Johansen is at the centre of a three-way transfer puzzle.
Contract negotiations with the Norwegian appear to have stalled at the Hoops while Tom Rogic and James Forrest agreed new three-year extensions this week.
Fulham, with £14million to splash following the sale of Scotland international striker Ross McCormack to Aston Villa, have now been linked with Johansen.
And the ex-Stromsgodset star is back on Galatasaray’s radar after Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp told them they are wasting their time pursuing the Anfield side’s Brazilian anchorman Lucas.
The Turkish giants have been tracking Johansen throughout the summer, but are not prepared to pay more than £1.5million for a player who is out of contract in 10 months’ time and free to talk to interested clubs at the turn of the year.
Ex-boss Neil Lennon paid Ronny Deila’s former club £2.2million for the 25-year-old international in January 2014 and the Hoops are hoping to recoup most of their original outlay.
The Craven Cottage outfit may be willing to begin negotiations with a £2million offer for Johansen, who missed the 5-0 League Cup demolition of Motherwell in midweek through suspension.
He has also been sidelined through injury and has failed to make a competitive appearance at the start of the Brendan Rodgers revolution. Johansen was called into action early in last week’s match against Astana in the Champions League qualifiers to replace the injured Paddy Roberts.
Tellingly the Irishman has already admitted: “If a player clearly doesn’t want to be at a club and had a year to go, the market will tell you that you have to sell that player.”
Galatarsaray boss Jan Olde Riekerink could enter the frame again after being knocked back in his initial move for Lucas, who made 40 appearances for the Merseyside team last term.
Johansen was Celtic’s Player of the Year in Ronny Deila’s first season as boss, helping Celtic to a league and league cup double. Last year was much more frustrating for the Norwegian international and he may may well be thinking that it is a good time to seek a new challenge.
