Journalist Martin Hardy writing in The Times has an exclusive linking Celtic with the January purchase of RB Salzburg midfielder in a £6 million deal…
If this is indeed the case it demonstrates that Celtic Executives are learning the lessons from the summertime shambles by looking to get their business done early on in the January transfer window.
Bobby Clark, whose dad is the former Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark, is currently on loan at Derby County but The Times claims he will be heading to Celtic in January.
The 20 year-old joined RB Salzburg in a £10m deal from Liverpool in the summer 2024 transfer window. He made his Premier League debut for the Anfield club against Bournemouth as a 17 year old and also featured in the Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea as Jurgen Klopp gave his exciting youngsters their chance and they certainly grabbed it.
Clark’s youth career included time at Birmingham City’s academy (while his father was there), then he moved to Newcastle United’s academy. In August 2021 he transferred from Newcastle to Liverpool, in a deal reported to be around £1.5 million including add-ons.
At Liverpool, he progressed through the youth sides. In the Under-18s he had a strong season in 2021-22, scoring 13 goals in 23 league appearances.
He made his senior debut for Liverpool in August 2022, as a substitute in the 9-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth. He also made his first start later that year, in a Carabao Cup match versus Derby County.
In February 2024, as mentioned above, he featured off the bench in the Carabao Cup final, which Liverpool won, beating Chelsea at Wembley. He scored his first goal for Liverpool in the Europa League in March 2024, in a 6-1 win over Sparta Prague, becoming Liverpool’s youngest scorer in European competition at that time.
In August 2024 Clark made a permanent move to Red Bull Salzburg on a five-year contract. The fee was about £10 million, plus there was a 17.5% sell-on clause included for Liverpool. There he linked up with Pepijn Lijnders, a former Liverpool assistant who had already moved to Salzburg.
During his first season (2024-25) at Salzburg he made around 25 appearances in all competitions, including some in the UEFA Champions League. However, after a managerial change (Lijnders was replaced by Thomas Letsch) his playing time was more limited, especially later in the season.
In August 2025 Clark moved back to England on a season-long loan to Derby County from Salzburg.
However that may well be cut short because according to a Times exclusive this morning, Bobby Clark is being linked with a £6 million transfer to Celtic in the January window. If that move went through, it would be a permanent transfer from RB Salzburg, despite him being on loan at Derby at present.
Celtic would seemingly see him as a player who could contribute immediately to the midfield area which has yet to consistently impress in what has been a stuttering campaign to date in the Celtic engine room.
Exclusive: Former Liverpool midfielder Bobby Clark set to join Celtic in January
Full story here:https://t.co/lyHmMsV5RH
— Martin Hardy (@mhardysport) October 16, 2025
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Way too early, to even be considering such rumours as any real truth within them?
The January window will be determined by where we actually are within our europa league campaign. Should be in a position to be within the knockout phase, even if we haven’t made a convincing start to the campaign.
So potentially only 3 changes allowed to the current squad in position for ourselves.
Can’t see the structure of the squad getting changed in January, so believe 6 midfield players will remain imo.
So a new addition, would have to be regarded as a replacement to one already within the squad?
Admittedly, I believe we could be spoilt for choice as to who might be making way for such an addition to be added, between Hatate, Paulo and Engels.
My guess would be Hatate with it being a world cup year, and trying to make a late claim for a place in the Japanese squad imo?
Clarke would fit the profile of a midfield player for ourselves, regardless of whether there was a new manager in place beyond this season, for a contract to be offered.