CELTIC seem to be stepping up their attempts to sign a striker to replace Gary Hooper.
After being priced out of a move for Finnbogason they have turned their attention to Schalke 04Â forward Teemu Pukki.
Teemu finds himself behind Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the pecking order at at the Veltins-Arena and his agent is not shy about wanting a move for his client. When asked about the interest from Celtic he replied:
“It is true, it is useless to deny,”
He added “The rumours come from right and left, I’m not going to participate in speculation.”
It’s still unknown how much Schalke want for the Finnish striker and how much Celtic’s initial bid was. But there does seem to be a genuine interest in the player. We should find out in the coming days whether talks have been successful.
Neil Lennon has now confirmed that Celtic are deep in talks with the German club. He said:
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“No bid accepted at the minute but negotiations ongoing. We will go again. A limit for all players.Looking for value for money”
“He’s a good player, intelligent, sharp and movement excellent. First-touch good. Similar to Hooper.”
IF any player is brought in within the next 48 hours they would miss Celtic’s Champions League playoff  tie against Shakter Karagandy in Kazakhstan as it’s too late to get a visa sorted  in time for the game. They would however be available for the 2nd leg at Celtic Park if registered by Monday.
For those of you, like me who have never heard of the player until now; here is a short video.
