Speculation linking Celtic with Mario Vuskovic intensified last night after the defender was left out of Hadjuk Split’s pre-season friendly against Aris.
All players miss out on pre-season matches as their fitness is carefully monitored but from Croatia they were reading more into the situation.
Celtic have been strongly linked with the 19-year-old central defender but at this time of the year there can sometimes be fresh rumours appearing on a daily basis. Central defence is a priority area for Celtic to strengthen but whether not Croatia, a teenager from Croatia is best placed to do that is open to debate.
Slobdana Dalmacija reports:
Mario Vuskovic did not enter the game in Odranci against Aris, we expected him to continue as a stopper, after Josip Elez and Stefan Simic did their job, but Ivan Calusic entered the game with Kristijan Dimitrov.
The explanation is laconic – they rested him.
And we would add that there is a constant possibility in the air to sell to Celtic, negotiations are going on, they are dying, they are alive, they are dying again, but they have not gone out. Not at all.
We remember how once in Koper, at the end of the winter preparations in Rovinj, Hajduk suddenly played without Filip Bradaric. It was a sign that Bradaric’s departure, then to Rijeka, was approaching.
He doesn’t play, he doesn’t take risks. We will see how similar this is the case with Vuskovic this Sunday.
Should Celtic be paying out £3-5m for Mario Vuskovic?
Yes, he seems exactly what we need to bring in
No, massive risk, we need experience in defence
Time appears to be running out on Ange Postecoglou as he tries to bring in new faces with just over a fortnight to go before it becomes real when Midtjylland visit Celtic Park.
As the new manager knows quarantine rules mean that foreign signings could be forced to self-isolate with little time on the training pitch before the Danes visit Celtic Park.