Pierre van Hooijdonk has dropped the heaviest hint that Nadir Ciftci is heading to Celtic.
The striker refused to discuss a move to Wigan despite the English side agreeing a deal with Dundee United.
Celtic have had at least one bid turned down but with the player in the final year of his contract his bargaining position is strengthened on a daily basis.
Van Hooijdonk took Ciftci to United to work with his former team-mate Jackie McNamara and is calling the shots after his client turned down a contract extension at the end of last season.
“I know there’s been an accepted offer from Wigan but Nadir has said no to that,” van Hooijdonk said. “Celtic have been in touch with two bids but those have been rejected by Dundee United and that is the status at the moment.
“He is flattered by Celtic’s interest but that is quite normal when you realise the size of the club. Anyone would be interested.
“Our relationship with Dundee United is a very good one and we want to keep it that way. We will just wait and see what happens over the next few days and weeks.
“At the end of the day the player always decides what happens, in my opinion but we are not having a big argument with Dundee United.”
Selling another player to Celtic, just months after watching Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong make the same move, would be a crushing blow for Dundee United supporters to take.
Mackay-Steven and Armstrong moved on the final day of the winter transfer window, with seven weeks remaining in the current transfer window it seems inevitable that Ciftci is bound for Celtic leaving the United board to negotiate the best possible package to keep their supporters onside.
