Liverpool s striker Mohamed Salah L and midfielder Harvey Elliot R take part in a training session held at Saint-Denis Stadium, in Paris, France, 27 May 2022. Liverpool FC will face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final soccer match on 28 May. Eve of the UEFA Champions League final soccer match ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJUANJOxMARTINxes-ESx GRAF1331 0160060730st
Celtic are in active discussions to sign prolific FC Aarau striker Elias Filet, with the French forward emerging as a top target this summer.
Sky Sport reports that the Scottish champions have already held a video conference with the player’s representative as they push to secure a deal.
The Hoops are understood to have spoken with Filet’s agent on Tuesday, with the aim of reaching a contractual agreement before negotiating directly with his club.
Filet scored 22 goals last season in the Swiss Challenge League, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the division.
The 6ft1in frontman was named Swiss Challenge League Player of the Year and is expected to leave FC Aarau this summer with just one year remaining on his contract.
Celtic are not alone in their pursuit, however, with Belgian club Genk having already submitted a formal offer for the striker.
French side FC Lorient have also been in contact with Filet’s agent and are expected to firm up their interest before the end of the week.
Martin O’Neill is set to be officially confirmed as Celtic manager on a one-year deal, with the option of a further 12 months.
O’Neill made clear last season that the Double-winners would need more firepower and physicality added to their squad, and Filet appears to fit that profile precisely.
Dominant in the air and clinical inside the penalty box, the forward’s profile addresses a specific need that O’Neill has long identified in the squad.
Meanwhile, out-of-contract pair Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are still waiting to learn whether they have a future at Parkhead.
Celtic held an option to trigger 12-month extensions in both players’ deals but may instead look to renegotiate the terms of any new agreements.
Iheanacho became a cult hero at the club after scoring a flurry of late goals that kept Celtic’s title hopes alive during a critical stage of the season.
January signing Oxlade-Chamberlain also contributed two crucial winners as the Hoops secured a historic five-in-a-row domestic championship.
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