Celtic have offered Charlton Athletic’s Alfie Doughty a pre-contract but face fierce competition for the signature of the versatile youngster. According to The Herald and Times Sport, Celtic and Rangers have both offered pre-contracts to the 21-year-old but Charlton have accepted bids in the region of £650k from Bournemouth, QPR and Stoke.
EXCLUSIVE: Celtic and Rangers both offer pre-contract terms to Alfie Doughty but Stoke want him now.
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— Mark Hendry (@mhendry92) January 8, 2021
The Scottish Champions can sign him for a small development fee if he agrees to the pre-contract that would allow him to join the club in the summer. However, the fact that Charlton have been offered a fee for him now means that they may be tempted to push the player towards a deal that compensates them a greater amount than a move to Celtic may.
Celtic made a number of bids during the summer transfer window but opted against paying over the odds for the talented youngster. Instead, they signed Diego Laxalt on loan from AC Milan as a replacement for Bolingoli with the Uruguayan impressing. Doughty can play in attack and defence and would almost be like a Jonny Hayes type signing, high energy and versatility.
Celtic have also already offered pre-contract terms to Ben Pearson of Preston North End as they begin the planning for next season.