CELTIC should target a summer bargain hunt on the south coast of England by signing Norwegian international Moi Elyounoussi on a permanent four or five year contract – that is the view of the former Celtic utility man Vidar Riseth.

There has been much made of the fact that the two loan players from Southampton both turned up for pre-season training at Lennoxtown but that really is more to do with their initial loan period running until the end of June.

Neil Lennon has spoken about his desire to sign both forward Elyounoussi and goalkeeper Fraser Forster on permanent deals but it is really going to down to how Southampton view the sort of money that Celtic will be able to afford, and indeed if there are higher bids from elsewhere. That though isn’t the entire story, as both players have lengthy contracts at St Mary’s and could decide to sit tight if the Saints try to shift them to a higher bidder than doesn’t particularly appeal to each player.

So it’s interesting to read the comments of his fellow Norwegian especially as Riseth explains that he’s been in regular contact with Moi and is able to give a steer on what the player himself is thinking.

In the case of Fraser Forster it’s also pretty clear that his heart is set on a Celtic return where he’ll play every week rather than taking up the probably more financially lucrative option of sitting on the bench for one of the London clubs.

If you had to put an estimate on it, would £10million be enough to convince Southampton to cut their losses and get two high earners who are both not in their plans off the wage bill? And importantly will both players be happy to work within the financial situation at Celtic which will mean an inevitable pay cut from the silly money they receive in the English Premier League? That will soon become apparent but what is clear that both players would have to want to sign for Celtic and both certainly seem keen.

Here’s what Riseth has been saying to Daily Record about Moi Elyounoussi signing for Celtic.

“Moi would be a great signing for Celtic. He’s a top lad. He trains hard as he is determined to be a better player. It says a lot that he is still training at Lennoxtown rather than going back to Southampton.

“I speak with him a lot and we had a good chat when I was in Glasgow earlier this year. He is really happy at Celtic – he loves it,” Riseth said.

“He had some tough times at Southampton. There were a few injuries and he wasn’t able to play as much as he would have liked. It was a big move when he went there and it was for a lot of money. But it didn’t quite work out how he would have wanted for whatever reason.

“You could see he was enjoying his football again when he went to Celtic. He was playing with a smile on his face. That is important for a player – that’s when you are at your best.”

“I know he cost Southampton a lot of money but I don’t think he would be quite as much now. I wouldn’t want to put a price on him but some players are worth spending money on. He is definitely one of them as he would be a great investment. He is the kind of important signing that can help win the league.

“If Celtic got him on a four or five-year deal there is no way they would lose out in the long term. His value is only going to go up again. There is more to come from Moi. He has the full package right now – he’s quick, strong and can score goals as well as create them for others – but I believe he can improve as well,” Riseth argued.

“He’s only been at Celtic a short time but if he was to stay on a long-term deal I think the fans would seem him improve even more. We saw it for a few months, this is the kind of environment he thrives in.

“It’s not easy to play at a club like Celtic as there is a lot of pressure to win every single week. But he responded to that pressure. He loves playing in front of big crowds and the huge atmosphere.”