SPANISH EYES ON SCEPOVIC

NEWLY-PROMOTED La Liga outfit Las Palmas have launched a bid to take Celtic striker Stefan Scepovic on loan for the season.

The Serb has failed to make an impact at the Hoops after arriving last summer in a £2.3million deal from Sporting Gijon where he had just scored 23 goals during the previous campaign.

However, he lost his finishing touch at the SPFL champions and claimed only six goals from 26 appearances, 17 of them from the substitutes’ bench. Ironically, the struggling 23-year-old frontman claimed a double in the 5-0 win over Inverness Caley Thistle on the final day of the campaign.

However, Scepovic is dropping down Ronny Deila’s list of options now Nadir Ciftci has arrived from Dundee United after last week’s £2.3million move.

Las Palmas see the attacker as a key figure if they are to remain in Spain’s top flight and his performances for Sporting Gijon have ignited their interest.

Deila will now ponder their offer. The Norwegian allowed Finnish flop Teemu Pukki to leave for a season-long loan to Brondby last summer before the deal became permanent last month.

Amido Balde, who is also heading for the Parkhead exit, spent the first half of the campaign on a temporary contract in Belgium and the second in Israel.

Scepovic, with three years of his deal still to run, could be the next to quit Parkhead on a loan move but Celtic may prefer to sell the player who has struggled to cope with the game in Scotland. A move back to Spain may be in everyone’s best interests.