Stephen McGowan’s update as complication emerges over Celtic’s move for Riley McGree

Celtic face a battle with Middlesbrough for the signing of Riley McGree. 

News of Celtic’s interest in the midfielder broke on Sunday morning in the Daily Mail with sources in Australia and the USA, where Charlotte FC, the player’s parent club are based, confirming that a deal was well down the road. 

Late on Tuesday it emerged that there was competition for McGree’s signature from the English Championship where the midfielder has spent the last 15 months on loan at Birmingham City. 

Picking up on the complication, Stephen McGowan reports in the Daily Mail: 

Middlesbrough have launched a last ditch move to beat Celtic to the signature of Australian international midfielder Riley McGree. 

Sportsmail first reported a Parkhead move for the 23-year-old, with a deal worth £3million plus add-ons has been agreed with MLS expansion franchise Charlotte FC.  

With an agreement on personal terms all but done, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou hoped to tie up a deal this week. 

Desperate to secure promotion to the English Premier League, however, Boro have now countered with a bid worth £2m more – including add ons – and improved wages understood to be around £14,000 a week. 

Celtic’s transfer moves have gone through like clockwork this month with Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda all announced before the transfer window opened. 

News of interest from elsewhere in McGree will present a couple of difficulties with the hoops having to match the offer that has been made to Charlotte FC. 

After that it will be down to the player to decide, Ange Postecoglou is keen to work with players that want to be at Celtic which suggests that he won’t get involved in an auction to secure a player swithering over personal terms.