Celtic do have an advantage in the transfer market where they can sign players from down south to pre contract agreements before English clubs can approach them, while any compensation tends to be reduced too.
The latest example appears to be Sheffield Wednesday youngster Liam Shaw, and Football Insider are now reporting that Celtic have an agreement with him over a pre contract.
It must be stressed that he’s not officially signed that deal yet, while it does sound like there are hopes in Sheffield that they can still sign him up to a new deal.
There’s a belief that his future at the club could be tied to his involvement between now and the end of the season, so if they make him a regular starter then he might decide to change his mind.
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It’s also worth noting that Wednesday are in a precarious position in the league and relegation is possible, so again that could factor into his decision if he waits until the summer.
He’s billed as a big central midfielder who stands at 190cm tall so he is physically imposing, while he can also fill in at the back so that versatility will also be useful.
He’s played in 11 games so far this season so there’s a decent sample size to go on, while the report states that the cross-border rules mean that Celtic would only need to pay around £300k if they can get him to sign.
It’s clear that he still need some time to decide but it does look positive from a Celtic point of view, so it will be worth keeping an eye on him for the rest of this season to see how he might fit in.
