EXCLUSIVECeltic consider move for Swiss star Sanches as potential midfield replacement for outgoing O’Riley

EXCLUSIVECeltic consider move for Swiss star Sanches as potential midfield replacement for outgoing O’Riley

Celtic have identified Lausanne’s Alvyn Sanches as a candidate to replace coveted midfielder Matt O’Riley.

Europa League holders Atalanta had their latest bid for the Danish international kicked out last night, an offer of £21.5million plus £2m add-ons rejected.

Celtic are holding out for a deal which shatters their previous record sales of £25million for Kieran Tierney and Jota, to Arsenal and Al-Ittihad, respectively.

And manager Brendan Rodgers insists the Scottish champions won’t give the time of day to any bids until their valuation of 23-year-old O’Riley is met.

Serie A side Atalanta, beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid in the European Super Cup Final on Tuesday night, view O’Riley as the ideal replacement for Juventus-bound Teun Koopmeiners, whose move to Turin hinges on the Bergamo-based club securing a midfielder of their own.

Swiss Under-21 star Alvyn Sanches has been identified as a midfield replacement for O’Riley

O’Riley remains a Celtic player for now after Atalanta’s latest bid was kicked out by the club

Celtic have been keeping tabs on Dundee forward Luke McCowan, with Hibs also keen

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Atalanta are also looking at Udinese’s Lazar Samardzic.

O’Riley remains relaxed over his future. Should he leave before the close of the window, Celtic will move to replace him from a list of potential replacements.

Competition for £4.3m-rated Swiss under-21 international Sanches stems from Nice, Club Bruges, Anderlecht and Burnley. Keen to take the next step in his career, the 21-year-old is expected to leave Switzerland before the close of the window.

Celtic have also been linked with £10m-rated Belgian wonderkid Arne Engels.

A late contender for Belgium’s Euro 2024 squad, the 20-year-old has impressed with Bundesliga side Augsburg.

As Mail Sport reported last week, the Parkhead side have also compiled reports on Dundee forward Luke McCowan, but have yet to firm up any interest with Hibs having already tested the Dens Park club’s resolve to keep the 26-year-old.

With just two weeks of Celtic’s transfer window remaining, the club are juggling multiple incoming and outgoing deals.

The signature of Adam Idah has added a much-needed boost to Brendan Rodgers’ attacking firepower but there are plenty of other priorities in the squad.

One of those is sourcing a replacement for Matt O’Riley if the midfielder leaves the club this summer.

Last season’s standout is being pursued by multiple teams in England and across Europe, with the potential of a sizable bid beyond £25m that tempts Celtic to sell.

To that end, Celtic are looking at Augsburg talent Arne Engels – and a big money move is possible per reports this week.

Arne Engels fancies a move to the Bhoys

Sky Sports reports that the Germans value him at around £9m in the market, meaning he would be an expensive purchase by Celtic’s standards.

However, there is hope of a deal being done. Despite interest from elsewhere including French side Rennes, Engels is said to favour a move to Glasgow to play Champions League football.

Any move is dependent on O’Riley leaving the club this summer. So if the Danish international doesn’t make his switch, we won’t see Engels in Scotland.

Engels has an exciting profile

Still just 20, Engels has been a breakthrough talent in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons, making 51 appearances in total for Augsburg.

FotMob reckon he’s a midfielder who has an eye for goal and forward-thinking creativity in possession, looking to be something of a like-for-like replacement for O’Riley – albeit with lots of development to come.

Celtic are benchmarking their potential replacement for O’Riley at a quality level with other names such as Daniel Gazdag linked with a switch to the Bhoys this summer.

Many fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Celtic manage to retain O’Riley’s talent for another season but if he does leave then the club must delve into the market with a bit of ambition.

Renato Tapia won’t be joining Celtic this summer after a flurry of speculation earlier this week linking him with a move to Scotland.

Tapia, a defensive midfielder, popped up on the radar of Celtic supporters after social media and messageboard chatter suggested he could be added to Brendan Rodgers’ squad this summer.

South American outlets also reported that the Bhoys were one of several options for the long-serving Peruvian international after he became a free agent.

However, following an exit from Celta Vigo, he’ll be staying in Spain.

Renato Tapia joins La Liga side as Celtic pursue other targets

CD Leganes, recently promoted to La Liga, have added Tapia to their ranks. They officially announced his arrival earlier on Thursday, ending any potential of a switch to Celtic.

The 29-year-old has signed a two-year deal and is already involved on the training pitch as the Spanish side prepare for their season-opener away to Osasuna.

Celtic have been keen on multiple other midfielders this summer but Tapia stood out because he offered a different profile.

The Bhoys haven’t been linked with many defensive-minded midfield options over the last 12 months.

Far more likely is a more attacking option joining the club as a replacement for Matt O’Riley, who is being aggressively pursued by teams across Europe this summer.

Arne Engels has been viewed as the most likely candidate to join Celtic in recent days, should O’Riley end up leaving Glasgow.

The £9m-rated midfielder is being pursued by other suitors, including Rennes in France, but he’s said to hold interest in pulling on the green and white hoops.

With a left-back and centre-back also needed, as a minimum, in the finals weeks of the window, Celtic have to start getting busier in the transfer market.

Arne Engels Celtic transfer talks held but TWO hurdles must be cleared for Augsburg star

The talisman attacking midfielder has interest from the Hoops

Arne Engels of FC Augsburg is a Celtic target

Celtic have held talks over a potential move for Augsburg’s Arne Engels – but must wait for TWO hurdles to be cleared.

Football Scotland understands the Hoops hold a genuine interest in the Belgian playmaker and have contacted the German club about a potential swoop for the 20-year-old. Engels made 33 appearances in all competitions last season and hit three goals with five assists to his name. That form has alerted Parkhead scouts who are keen and have reached out.

Engels would cost a pretty penny with around £10million being touted as the price his club want for his services, but it’s an outgoing Celtic man who would hold the key to any deal going through.

Matt O’Riley is expected to leave the club this summer with a fifth Atalanta bid being booted out by the Scottish champions who are still holding out for the £25million guaranteed with add-ons bumping the deal up. Should the Danish international leave, the path would be clearer for Engels at that stage.

Sources in Germany have also indicated to Football Scotland that another domino could have to be knocked down on Augsburg’s side of the deal. We understand their playmaker Ruben Vargas is hoping to leave the club before the end of the transfer window and that would throw a spanner in the works as the Bundesliga outfit would then be loath to lose both attacking midfielders from their squad.

The window in Scotland remains open until September 1 and Brendan Rodgers wants reinforcements at left-back, defence and in midfield. Another striker could also be brought in if conditions are correct.

Director says Celtic and Crystal Palace must pay over £7m to sign wonderkid

When you have Bayer Leverkusen for competition in a transfer battle, then you can be pretty confident that the player in question is one of considerable talent.

Bundesliga and German Cup winners under Xabi Alonso last season, Leverkusen’s remarkable success story is proof of not only what can be achieved with elite-level coaching but also a recruitment department operating at the very top of their game.

Jeremie Frimpong is a perfect example of both Alonso’s ability to turn good players into great ones, as well as Leverkusen’s ability to unearth rough diamonds available for bargain fees.

The jet-heeled wideman moved to the Bay Arena from Celtic back in January 2021. He set Leverkusen back just £11.5 million at the time. These days, Frimpong is on the radar of Manchester City amongst others, HITC understands.

And, three-and-a-half years on, Celtic may find themselves going head-to-head with Frimpong’s current employers for one of the next generation’s rising stars.

Celtic face Leverkusen battle for Bazoumana Toure

According to Swedish publication Fotboll Direkt, Brendan Rodgers’ side scouted Bazoumana Toure during Hammarby’s 2-0 win away at Brommapojkarna in July.

And talk about timing.

The teenage midfielder opened the scoring in front of those Hoops talent-spotters, spinning on the ball inside the box and lashing it into the top corner with his left boot.

That is one of five goals Bazoumana Toure has scored in just ten league starts this season, in addition to his two assists. Understandably, given such a return and considering that he only turned 18 a few months back, Celtic are not alone in their pursuit.

Bayer Leverkusen are keen. As are Eintracht Frankfurt and Crystal Palace of the Premier League.

Hammarby have wasted little time in setting their stall out, however. Toure is not for sale. And, even if he was, anyone who comes calling would have to make an offer in excess of £7.3 million to twist their arm, the Stockholm-based outfit determined to make Toure the most expensive sale in their entire history.

“There are definitely clubs that contact us from the top five leagues,” sporting director Mikael Hjelmberg tells Fotboll Direkt. “But we have been clear that we do not want to sell at all.

“(Toure) is an important player for us and our ambition is to keep him. We have not come to the negotiating table. We have only said that we are not interested in selling.”

“Of course that is the ambition,” Hjelmberg adds, confirming that the Ivory Coast international will have to be the subject of an offer capable of making the record books. “It definitely is.

“We knew that he is a very good player but (his development) may have gone faster than we thought.”

Bids must be over £7 million for Swedish league starlet

The director admits that Hammarby may be powerless to prevent Toure’s departure if they receive an offer in the region of their 100 million-plus Swedish Krone asking price. As things stand, however, no such offers have arrived.

“Where we are right now, and since we haven’t been given anything really concrete to decide on, it’s quite simple,” concludes Hjelmberg.

Scandinavian football is becoming a very fertile development home for young African footballers looking to make their name in Europe.

Mohammed Kudus and Ibrahim Osman, for example, both sealed big-money moves to the Premier League – with West Ham United and Brighton respectively – after honing their talents at Nordsjaelland.

Bazoumana Toure could soon be in the next cab off the rank.

He returned to haunt Brommapojkarna’s dreams again this week, notching twice in a 3-3 draw. Toure’s first showcased his explosive pace and cool finishing, while his second was tucked away with effortless, instinctive quality.

“He is as good as he shows. He is threatening all the time,” Hammarby teammate Nahir Besara tells Expressen.

“It feels like Toure has another level in him. We just need to refine the diamond.”