Celtic are in pole position to sign an impressive player ahead of Premier League side Leeds United, with the Bhoys actively pursuing his signing prior to the summer.
Celtic close ground on Hearts after Motherwell triumph
What a weekend it was for Celtic’s title hopes.
Martin O’Neill’s side came from behind to beat Motherwell 3-1 at Celtic Park on Saturday — Hyun-Jun Yang netting twice and Tomas Cvancara converting a penalty after Motherwell were reduced to 10 men.
Then, Hearts went and lost 1-0 at Kilmarnock the same evening.
In the space of a few hours, Celtic had closed the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership from five points to just two, with eight games remaining.
A title race that had looked like it was slightly drifting away from them is suddenly very much alive.
The comeback victory was not pretty.
Motherwell — managed, interestingly, by a man himself linked with the Celtic job in Jens Berthel Askou — were the better side for long spells and silenced Parkhead when Elijah Just fired them in front just after the half hour.
But Celtic found a way, as champions tend to do.
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Yang levelled before the break, the red card and penalty shifted the momentum completely, and the South Korean sealed it with a composed finish late on.
O’Neill called Yang “absolutely outstanding” afterwards, and it was hard to argue.
The pressure is now firmly back on Hearts. Their away form has been a persistent weakness — they have dropped nine points on the road against St Mirren, Rangers and now Kilmarnock — and they must still travel to Celtic Park before the season ends.
The Hoops are in the ascendancy at exactly the right time.
That growing belief on the pitch is being matched by ambition off it. With a major summer rebuild already being planned around the appointment of a new permanent manager, Celtic are moving quickly to identify their key targets — and according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, one name is firmly at the top of the list.
Celtic in pole position to sign Kasper Hogh ahead of Leeds United
Kasper Hogh, the 25-year-old Bodo/Glimt striker, is a player Celtic have been tracking for some time.
They attempted to bring him in during the January window but were unable to get a deal done, with their interest remaining ahead of the next window opening in June.
Leeds and the Bhoys are said to be ‘chasing a deal’ for him, but FI suggests that Celtic are the favourites to seal Hogh’s signature — and the reason is straightforward.
Hogh has been sensational in the Champions League this season, scoring six goals and registering three assists in just 13 European appearances.
He has found the net against Man City, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan and Sporting, with Hogh terrorising Pep Guardiola’s side and bagging a brace against them.
Bodo/Glimt are on the brink of the quarter-finals, and his stock has risen dramatically as a result, with bigger clubs now taking notice.
That is where Celtic hold the upper hand over Leeds.
The Yorkshire club are fighting relegation and have no European football to offer. Celtic, by contrast, still have a very realistic path to the Champions League next season — particularly if they can reel in Hearts over the coming weeks.
Bodo/Glimt want to keep him, and Hogh himself is reportedly keen on staying in the Champions League, which means any club without that carrot will struggle.
That being said, some reports suggest the Norwegian surprise package could demand as much as £16 million for the striker — and any fee in that region means Celtic would have to splash a club-record deal.
Celtic still have work to do — on the pitch and in the transfer market. But right now, everything is pointing in the right direction.
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