Celtic are looking for a “exceptional” acquisition to replace the hero who started 48 games.
Celtic star who started 48 games may be replaced by a “exceptional” new signing.
The Hoops are apparently mulling a move to recruit the £25k-per-week behemoth.
Celtic finished the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season in style, coming from behind to defeat St Mirren 3-2 at Parkhead on the final day.
Following the match, the Hoops were able to take the top-flight title, which they had earned with a 5-0 victory against Kilmarnock earlier that week.
However, the season is far from over for the Scottish giants, who face their closest rivals in the SFA Cup final this Saturday at Hampden.
Brendan Rodgers has the possibility to win two titles in his first year back at Paradise, and he will focus on that match before considering the forthcoming summer transfer market.
Veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart, who is expected to retire this summer once his contract at Parkhead expires, will need to be replaced ahead of the 2024/25 season.
His impending retirement means Celtic will be looking for a new number one to play between the posts in Glasgow next season, and they are apparently interested in a goalkeeper who was just demoted from the Premier League.
Celtic are interested in Burnley’s star.
According to The Scottish Sun, the Hoops are mulling a move to capture Burnley shot-stopper Arijanet Muric to improve their goalkeeping options during the transfer season.
According to the source, Rodgers prefers to recruit a fresh first-choice rather than bring in a current player to replace Hart, and the Clarets star has surfaced as a potential alternative for the club.
However, it does not specify how much it would cost to sign him from the soon-to-be Championship club, who have just been demoted from the English top flight.
The Scottish Sun also does not say whether the Kosovo international is interested in leaving English football to become the number one in Glasgow.
This means that it remains to be seen whether the Hoops can persuade him to join Rodgers’ side and take over for Hart ahead of next season.
The report did, however, mention that Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin and Southampton’s Alex McCarthy have also been connected with a move to Parkhead, indicating that Muric is not the only goalkeeper on the club’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window.
If Celtic can seal a deal to sign the Burnley behemoth, they might have an excellent substitute for Hart, who has been a frequent starter this season.
Joe Hart’s final season at Celtic in numbers
The former England international, who signed from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021, has been Rodgers’ uncontested first choice this season.