The transfer triangle around Gary Hooper has sprung into action.
Norwich City and Hull have both been strongly linked to the Celtic striker and have had bids rejected for the 25-year-old.
With twelve months left on his current deal decision time is fast approaching with Celtic unlikely to allow the player to walk away for nothing at the end of the season.
Over the weekend the transfer market moved into action with Norwich agreeing a deal with Wigan for Grant Holt.
The striker is in talks with Owen Coyle about a move and is expected to go through after the clubs agreed a £2m fee for the 32-year-old.
Holt achieved legendary status at Carrow Road under Paul Lambert after scoring the goals that fired the club from League One through to the Premiership.
Holt put in a transfer request after Lambert left for Aston Villa but agreed to stay on under Chris Hughton.
Norwich signed former Utrecht striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel earlier this year and are believed to be keeping tabs on Hooper after having three bids rejected in January.
Newly promoted Hull had a £4.5m bid for Hooper rejected with Steve Bruce keen to add players to his squad as they prepare for life back in the Premiership.
The former Sunderland boss appears to have switched his interest to Charlie Austin- also linked with Celtic- with Burnley accepting an offer of £4.5m for the former Swindon striker.
With all this activity going on Hooper is continuing his pre-season work with Celtic in Germany.
At the weekend Neil Lennon admitted: “We knocked back £6milion for him in January so we won’t be bullied by big-money offers for any of the players.
“We have a team full of prized assets here. We’re comfortable with our valuations and if they are not met we are not in any desperate need to sell them.
“But Gary has been brilliant. I haven’t seen a change in attitude at all from Gary and I haven’t had to speak to him.”
Hooper seems to want to stay so I would push the boat out and extend his contract. I cannot understand – money only – how any player would want to leave the Tic for the backwaters of Hull, Norwhich or Southampton
Norwich would be a step up from Celtic! Hooper would be able to play in great conditions every week and get away from the boring and dull Scottish league.
Ye think champions league is boring also?
Norwich a step up, where have you just arrived from. If I remember rightly Celtic were playing in the Champions League last year so Hooper got to play in the worlds premier competition while Norwich were running about desperately trying to scrape 40 points so they could avoid relegation. Now you could consider a move to one of the big teams in England a step up but Norwich. I am surprised about the great conditions, the pitch at Wigan was shared with a rugby team and you had games postponed because of the rain….great conditions right enough Robbie. It really is dull and boring watching the same teams win it every year….the EPL not the SPl……the most predictable league in the world……..success for you is survival, losing a game for us is a disaster….now what’s dull and boring
Norwich a step UP from Celtic haha drug test that man, that’s a belter need to remember that joke when am feeling down lol ffs HH
Given the new frugal regime in place at Parkhead, I can’t understand the logic in not letting Hooper go last January. We would still have won the double and I don’t think the Juve result would have been any different, with or without Hopper.
If I remember correctly,Hooper has made It clear he wants to leave Us and In my view he Is welcome to where he has his future in mind.I dont believe for a minute the real movers in the premiership would be interested.
I think against Juve showed me and demonstrated to potential buyers that he Is a Centre forward who backs off from conflict ,allows himself to be bullied and his first touch is poor.He is nowhere near the class of Hartson ,Sutton,King Henrik or any of the Warriors who have led the Celtic Line From the front.
Deans ,Wallace and Joe Macbride were App.the same Height and build of Hooper but they would have had those two Juve central defenders praying for the final whistle.
Hull and co.are welcome to hooper in my opinion.
A wouldn’t say he was bullied in the juventus game it was more like assault at every corner there is a difference. The guy can score goal and he will where ever he goes but agree he wants away and all the talk last week was just that talk he’s no intention of staying unless forced HH
Get it sorted & now hooper & celtic 8 million no less
Hooper been offered a right good deal hes holding out for a spurs or everton if a player wants to go punt him 5mil + lenny n park will replace
I don’t see any reason why we can’t agree to up Hooper’s wages to a level nearer out top wage earners….not like he hasn’t scored important goals for us. We could then add a specific buy out clause into the contract say £ 7.5m and move on.
Hooper would be showing a huge lack of ambition if signing for some of these nonentities from England, he is easily a class above all those who have supposedly declared an interest then tried to buy cheap. Ask any of them for one of their better players and we will be quoted £8-10m+ for players with no European experience and only big match experience is in backs to the wall bus parking and hope to get lucky. Teams who think getting gubbed for 2 or 3 goals at the BIG clubs is a decent result …..dream on.
I honestly don’t think the money is the problem willie a think he’s trying to get a game for e**land but a contract with a get out like stan petrov had would benefit everybody HH
Need to agree to disagree on Hooper Willie,But good to hear from you,maybe I have been spoiled By Guys who wore the number 9 ,such as the men I mentioned Above.
He will probably hang around until January … Score a few goals, show disdain to the shirt he’s wearing and twaddle back down south to some irrelevant engerlush team.
Same old story players come make a name and want more let him go and see that the grass isn’t greener on the other side
If Benteke leaves Villa I’d expect Paul Lambert to be interested in Hooper but wouldn’t expect a Souness style friendly transfer fee.