Celtic have been linked with summer moves for Michael Olise and Aaron Hickey.
Stephen McGowan of the Daily Mail has a better track record than most for Celtic transfer targets with both players- at 18-year-of-age- falling into the club’s favoured policy of ‘project’ signings.
The transfer market is likely to be very supressed in the summer with few clubs likely to buying while others look to sell in an attempt to balance the books with income taking a massive hit.
Hearts will be reluctant to sell Hickey to Celtic but with relegation and pay cuts they will be forced to see the teenage full-back who is under contract until June 2021.
The Daily Mail reports:
Celtic have placed teenage Reading winger Michael Olise on a list of potential transfer targets. And the Parkhead side are also keeping tabs on Aaron Hickey’s situation at relegated Hearts. A France under-18 international, left-sided Olise made 14 appearances for the Royals before the lockdown forced football into cold storage.
Known to former Reading Director of Football Nicky Hammond, the 18-year-old had spells in the academies of Chelsea and Manchester City before joining Reading’s academy scholarship programme. The winger signed a three-year professional contract last July.
Hickey was with the Celtic Academy until the summer of 2018 when he signed a three years Hearts deal with the hoops reported to be on a 30% cut of any transfer fee.
A number of EPL clubs including Southampton and Manchester City have been linked with Hickey but his form was erratic in the season just completed with Hearts winning just four out of 30 SPFL matches.