Brendan Rodgers looks set for a busy summer as he looks to bolster the ranks at Celtic Park – and the club’s bank balance
Motherwell wonderkid Lennon Miller’s Scotland brag shows he has the belief to make it at a “big club” like Celtic.
That is according to Fir Park insider Andy Halliday amid reports the Premiership leaders could revive their January interest in the 18-year-old as Brendan Rodgers is a massive admirer of the prospect.
Motherwell closed the door on a last-gasp exit in the winter window with Udinese also showing an interest in the rising star in January.
After Miller was handed his first senior Scotland call-up by Steve Clarke for the Nations League double-header against Greece, speculation over his future in Lanarkshire has only ramped up with the likes of Borussia Dortmund rumoured to be showing interest.
During the international break, Miller raised eyebrows when he claimed he “could maybe in a couple of months be the best player” within the Scotland camp.
But Halliday reckons those comments would be viewed positively when he takes his next step.
He told Open Goal: “What if he said he wants to be the best in a few months? I tell you what, see when Lennon gets his move in the summer, and he goes to some of these big clubs, you are then saying, ‘he is playing for them, so what now?’.
“For me, it’s still down to your talent, so if you get the opportunity and you are as good, which I believe he will be.
A striker will also be on the summer shopping list after failing to snap up a replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi in January.
Slovan Bratislava frontman David Strelec was on the agenda going into the closing hours of the winter window but a deal could not be reached.
He was rated at £9million – and refused to celebrate his goal for Slovan against Ruzomberok following the collapse of an exit.
The 23-year-old hasn’t been shy in admitting he wishes the move had gone through – and has now been told to focus on Slovan by his boss Vladimir Weiss.
He told Sport: “I told Strelec: ‘You have to focus on Slovan. He knows he must focus on the club over any other.
The coffers at Parkhead look set to be boosted by Jeremie Frimpong leaving Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
The Scottish Premiership champions hold a 30 percent sell-on fee as part of the £11m deal that allowed Frimpong to leave the club for Leverkusen back in January 2021.
Liverpool have reportedly held “initial talks” with the the Bundesliga side over a move. BILD have claimed a €40m (£34m) price tag has been placed on the Netherlands international.
Gustaf Lagerbielke could also bank the Hoops a payday – with Voetbol Primeur suggesting that a £3m payday could be on the cards with FC Twente considering an approach to make the loan move permanent.
After scoring for Sweden while on international duty, the centre-back said: “I just want to play. I feel very comfortable in the Netherlands, so I can certainly imagine a future there.”
Elsewhere, Sport FM report that Olympiacos are “open” to making Luis Palma’s move to the club permanent.
Celtic paid around £3.5m to bring the winger to the club in 2023 – and look to be set to on recouping the majority of that with the Greek report suggesting a £3.3m price tag has been placed on the 25-year-old.
Discussing his future earlier this week, Palma said: “If you are happy in one place, you will always be happy.
“I have my health, my family has their health, my wife is well, I am well at Olympiacos and now I am returning (from the Honduran national team) to work and close the season in the best possible way.
