NEIL LENNON is eyeing a dramatic swoop for Bristol City defender Niclas Eliasson – if a third move for Charlton’s Alfie Doughty is not pushed through before Monday’s transfer deadline.
The Celtic boss, desperately looking for reinforcements for the left-back position, is lining up a bid for the 24-year-old Swede, according to a report in the Scottish Sun.
Eliasson, who has been scouted by the nine-in-a-row champions, is a free agent in June and, like Doughty who is in the same position, will be able to sign a pre-contract in January.
He could be on the move within the week after losing his first-team place at the Ashton Gate outfit following the sacking of gaffer Lee Johnson in July.
Eliasson was watched by Gary Penrice, the Hoops’ head of recruitment, in last week’s 3-0 EFL Cup home defeat to Aston Villa.
Lennon has also been linked with Aarhus left-back Casper Hojer, as CQN reported yesterday, and the Hoops boss and head of football operations Nick Hammond are working full pelt in bringing in someone to rival Greg Taylor for the No.3 position.
Leeds United’s Scotland international Barry Douglas has also been mentioned as a possibility.
Lennon, of course, was presented with a problem in August following Boli Bolingoli’s hush-hush trip to high-risk Spain without the club’s authority.
The Belgian ignored quarantine guidelines set out by the Scottish Government upon his return and he trained with team-mates at Lennoxtown before playing a cameo role in the 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
His Celtic career, with three years still to run on his contract following last summer’s £3million arrival from Vienna Rapid, is almost certainly over and he has been shipped out to Turkey on loan for the rest of the campaign.
The hunt, though, goes on for a replacement.
