Celtic’s pursuit of Brazilian holding midfielder Vinicius Souza has been well documented of late. Souza has starred for Belgian outfit KV Mechelen – on loan from SK Lommel who are part of the City group, and has attracted interest from a number of clubs. A meeting was recently scheduled between Celtic and the player’s representatives, but the Hoops’ hopes of signing Souza now appear to have been given a major boost as one of the key suitors look set to withdraw from the race.
Last night Fenerbache had a bid in the region of £3.6m to £4.3m rejected (reports vary). However, the bid was met with a negative response and a number of Turkish media outlets now believe that the club will be searching the market for alternative midfield options.
The likes of PSV and Ajax remain interested in securing Souza’s services, if reports across Europe are to be believed, but with one of the seriously interested parties set to look elsewhere Celtic’s chances of getting their man have dramatically improved.
Celtic’s new recruitment chief Mark Lawwell worked with the City group for a decade and the club have established links with clubs among that chain. Perhaps these connections can be drawn upon to get the deal over the line.