Celtic have been credited with an interest in a "really good" goalkeeper to replace the outgoing Joe Hart.
Celtic eye Joe Hart replacements
After a long and glittering career, Joe Hart announced that he would be retiring at the end of the Scottish Premiership season, ending his career on a high after Celtic clinched yet another SPL title.
"I wanted to get the message out, as of June I am going to stop playing football", Hart explained in February. "This is something that I have thought about for a while, there's no right or wrong time is there?
"There is obviously a conversation around the goalkeeping position for next season and I think it's really important that with the blessing of the club we get the message out and it takes one thing out of what people are going to speculate over.
"I have gone down every avenue to keep myself in the best possible shape to give my all on game day and I do really think I am at that peak, but I am aware time waits for no man and I don't want my body to be retiring me. That was one of the key factors, thinking I can smash through the finish line."
In the wake of Hart confirming he will leave the club, the Hoops have been linked with a number of goalkeepers. Celtic have reportedly made an offer of around £6.4m for the services of Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, who has been a long-term target for the Scottish outfit. Southampton shot-stopper Alex McCarthy is also being monitored ahead of him becoming a free agent this summer.
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough shot-stopper Tom Glover appears to be of interest, while Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly is said to be on Celtic’s list of summer targets.
Celtic could smash transfer record for "really good" Hart replacement
Now, a fresh goalkeeper is being tipped to make the move to Celtic Park. The update comes via reliable journalist Alan Nixon, who claims Celtic are interested in signing Burnley's Arijanet Muric. The Clarets have been relegated to the Championship this season and Nixon states that they cannot keep both Muric and their other first-choice keeper, James Trafford.
In turn, they are looking to offload one, and want £10m for Muric's services. Should Celtic indeed cough up that sum for the 25-year-old, it would be a club-record transfer fee, with the current record the £9m paid out to PSG for Odsonne Edouard.
Despite Muric's struggles between the sticks for Burnley during what was a tough campaign, he has still earned praise for his displays, including from former player-turned-pundit, Micah Richards.
“If you look at Burnley and how they’ve been playing of late, he’s actually been really good. But all people are talking about are the bad mistakes,” Richards said on Muric.
“They’ve changed their tactics slightly, they’re not making the same type of mistakes in the middle of the pitch where they were getting countered on, but now because they still want to play out – as Alan has talked about all season long – that’s what happens. Your goalkeepers are going to make mistakes.”
