Strahinja Pavlovic appears to be close to a 5.5m euro transfer to Lazi despite being watched by Neil Lennon last month.
The Celtic boss travelled to Wales to watch the 18-year-old defender in action for Partizan Belgrade against Connah’s Quay Nomad’s in a match that the Serbian side won 1-0.
Pavlovic was linked with Juventus last season but according to Telegraf of Serbia he now appears to be heading to the Italian capital to join Lazio.
Partizan defender Strahinja Pavlovic played his last match against Rado tonight as the club’s first team player from Humska, and he will become Lazio’s football player already tomorrow. Black and whites will earn around € 5,500,000 from the transfer, while the young footballer will sign a five-year contract with a Roman club. The official offer of “sky-blue” has arrived at the hundred winners of the Serbian Cup and – it was accepted without thinking, and the complete work will be concluded at tomorrow’s closing meeting of all three parties. (Google translate)
At that level of fee it seems that Celtic’s interest would require the club to be involved in the Champions League to justify.
Celtic spend £7m signing Christopher Jullien from Toulouse but the Frenchman has found first team appearances limited by Jozo Simunovic and Kris Ajer.
There has been reports of interest in Simunovic from France but with options limited at the back Celtic haven’t got involved in negotiations.
Any transfer activity at Celtic now looks likely to take place after the return leg of their Europa League play off against AIK of Sweden once Celtic’s European fate is known.