Frankfurt's Portuguese forward Andre Silva (C) celebrates scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot with his teammate Frankfurt's Dutch forward Bas Dost (R) during the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt on September 25, 2020 in Berlin. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill could be set to land his top goalkeeping target after a series of mixed signals emerged from Hertha Berlin over Tjark Ernst.
The 23-year-old shot-stopper has attracted significant interest from Celtic, Feyenoord under Gio van Bronckhorst, and Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach.
Ernst has a €5million release clause in his contract, though Berliner Zeitung reports that the fee is being “negotiated” with interested clubs as the goalkeeper enters the final year of his deal.
The uncertainty surrounding his future deepened this week when Hertha boss Ands Leitl insisted no transfer was close and that Ernst would feature in a midweek friendly in Lichtenberg.
Ernst failed to appear in that friendly, immediately intensifying speculation that a move could be progressing quietly away from public view.
After the game, Leitl offered a puzzling explanation for his absence, saying: “His absence? A misunderstanding. He’ll play on Saturday.”
Hertha are scheduled to face Lok Leipzig this weekend, but O’Neill will be quietly hoping the goalkeeper remains absent again as the saga continues to develop.
The Celtic manager has been open about his need to strengthen the goalkeeping department following the retirement of Kasper Schmeichel from the club.
O’Neill, 74, made his intentions clear when speaking about the current options available to him between the sticks at Celtic Park this summer.
He said: “We’re definitely looking for another goalkeeper. Whether it be a youngish fellow, same age as Sinisalo, or somebody a bit older, we’re definitely looking at it.”
The manager also acknowledged the squad’s current limitations, adding: “Because we’ve only got Sinisalo here at this minute and we’ve got Ross [Doohan].”
With Viljami Sinisalo and Ross Doohan currently the only senior options on the roster, bringing in a third goalkeeper has become a clear priority for the club.
Ernst, a former Germany youth international, fits the profile O’Neill has described and represents a relatively affordable option given the release clause attached to his contract.
Celtic’s ability to move quickly in the transfer window could prove decisive, with Feyenoord and Borussia Monchengladbach also circling the highly-rated young goalkeeper.
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