According to reports in Italy, Aaron Kickey will be going nowhere this summer.
Page 68 of today’s print edition of Il Resto del Carlino claims Bologna are looking for upward of €8m for their defender.
Hickey was signed by the Italian club back last summer for a fee of around £1.5m. [Sky Sports]
However, Sunsport reported this week Celtic were closing in on a deal for the lifelong Hoops fans for around the €3.5m mark.
Hickey has a deal with Bologna that runs until 2024, so the ball is very much in the Italian club’s court when it comes to the player’s future.
The defender only made 11 appearances for the Serie A side last season due to injury, but did impress when he was on the field.
Celtic have long held an interest in Hickey; the defender has been part of Celtic’s youth academy at one point before leaving in search of first team football.
Celtic haven’t spent any serious cash this transfer window yet. They have brought in two boys from Sheffield Wednesday as free agent’s – small FIFA training fees apply but it’s safe to say Celtic need to blow the dust off the chequebook.
Hickey is nowhere near worth €8m to Celtic at this point in proceedings, and if Bologna are really asking for that kind of money it should be enough for the club to look elsewhere.
There are gaps in the first team all over the park. The left-back position is covered right now by Greg Taylor, Boli Bolingoli and Adam Montgomery so it’s not a vital position to strengthen straight away in the window.
It all depends if Boli Bolingoli sticks around this summer.
It’s an interesting time to be a Celtic fan but you have to be concerned the club have gone off to their Welsh pre-season training camp with no new first team signings. Something which would have been unfathomable when you take into account the club have been looking to rebuild since letting go of Neil Lennon in February.
