The Daily Mail has reported that Newcastle are hoping to sign Kris Ajer for £8m.
Although the defender has just over a year left to run on his contract Celtic will be hoping to at least match the £11m fee that they picked up from Bayer Leverkusen for Jeremie Frimpong in January.
Celtic signed Ajer from Start in April 2016, after half a season on loan at Kilmarnock he has become Celtic’s first choice central defender over the last two seasons.
The Daily Mail reports:
Newcastle United are pressing ahead in their bid to sign Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer amid interest from newly-promoted Norwich City.
The 23-year-old has one year left on contract and is determined to leave this summer and a move to Newcastle appeals.
Ajer is valued around £25million by Celtic but he could leave for free next summer and sign a pre-contract in January. Newcastle are hoping to prise him away at the end of this campaign but will put forward an offer of around £8m.
Ajer’s likely departure makes central defence an area of priority for Celtic’s new management team. Chris Jullien isn’t expected to be available until September after suffering knee ligament damage leaving Stephen Welsh and Nir Bitton as the only options with top team experience.
Jack Hendry could return but with Oostende having an option to buy it would be a surprise if that option wasn’t taken up, like Ajer the former Dundee man is under contract with Celtic until May 2022.