Celtic now have a clearer picture of what it would take to sign former Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie this summer.

The Hoops remain in the market for reinforcements across several areas of the squad, but the need for a recognised number nine has only grown as uncertainty continues over Daizen Maeda’s future.

Goals from the central striker role were difficult to come by for much of last season. Maeda eventually filled that gap as Celtic wrapped up the Premiership title and Scottish Cup, but Martin O’Neill will want a more natural option leading the line heading into the new campaign.

Callum Osmand’s return from injury offered encouragement late in the season, with the 20-year-old keen to kick on during the upcoming season.

The loan arrivals of Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu failed to make the impact required to earn permanent moves, while the deadline for Celtic to activate their option to extend Kelechi Iheanacho’s stay has now passed.

Iheanacho, who played a key role in Martin O’Neill’s double-winning side, now faces an uncertain future after the club allowed that option to expire.

One player linked with a move to Glasgow in recent weeks has been Bowie.

The Scotland international left Hibs for Hellas Verona in January, with the Easter Road club banking what they described as a club-record fee, surpassing the £4.4 million received from Celtic for Scott Brown in 2007.

Bowie impressed on a personal level after the move, scoring four goals in 14 appearances. It was not enough to prevent Verona from suffering relegation to Serie B.

Despite that setback, Verona appear in no rush to cash in.

According to SportItalia, the Italian club will not consider offers below €10 million, around £8.6 million, for the 23-year-old. The report adds that Cagliari, Bologna and two clubs outside Italy are also monitoring his situation.

Whether Celtic are prepared to reach that valuation remains to be seen, particularly given the number of positions the club are looking to strengthen during this transfer window.

CeltsAreHere reported just over two weeks ago that there had been no confirmation of a direct club-to-club approach from Celtic to Hellas Verona. At this stage, the story is best viewed as reported interest rather than an active pursuit.

That could change as the window develops, but there has been no indication so far that Celtic have followed up the speculation with a formal bid.