AARON HICKEY is on the verge of a £1.8m move to Serie A side Bologna. The 18-year-old will swap the Scottish second tier for a move to Northern Italy meaning that it is good news for Celtic, who will pocket a tidy windfall of £540k due to a sell-on clause.
As reported by the Scottish Sun, Hearts accepted a £1.8m bid for the promising fullback which means that Celtic will be entitled to 30% of this sale netting a tidy fee over half a million.
🔊LISTEN: Aaron Hickey says Bologna is the right move for him as he flies out to Italy today to seal his move.
The 18-year old is hoping to test himself against some of the world’s best:
“Ronaldo is my idol. To play against him would be incredible for me”. pic.twitter.com/BKGxv5eCLC
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) September 9, 2020
Celtic have been in the market for a new full back after the behaviour of Bolingoli resulted in two games being postponed, resulting in Celtic falling behind Hibs and Rangers. Now with just Greg Taylor as the club’s only option at left back, Neil Lennon will need to look to the transfer market to find reinforcements. Although, Hickey will not be joining Celtic as the 18-year-old looks set to join Serie A side Bologna. Hickey has been one of Scotland’s top rated talents in recent years with the player having been linked with Bayern Munich, Lyon and Manchester City.
Hickey made 33 appearances for Hearts last season and was one of their bright sparks in a dull season. Whilst his teammates prepare for life in the Championship, Hickey will be playing his football in the Italian top tier next season.
It is a good fee for the player that came through at Celtic before joining Hearts aged 14 and the club are reaping the rewards of putting a bumper clause into the deal to take him to the Tynecastle club. Celtic can now look to reinvest the money in either a new target, wages or propping up the youth sides at the club.
