Celtic have been handed a Reo Hatate transfer boost, according to reports in London.
The midfielder has been hugely impressive since he moved to Glasgow under Ange Postecoglou in 2021.
But after the Aussie's departure to Tottenham Hotspur Hatate has been linked with a move that would see him reunite with his former boss.
Brighton are also said to be interested, while Celtic insist they don't want to lose one of their key men.
Football London reports today that Postecoglou is targeting another midfielder though, which may put the Hatate rumours to bed.
The report states that Spurs are keen to bring Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher to the club after his successful stint on loan at Crystal Palace.
Discussing his future at Parkhead while on international duty, Hatate said: "If there is a chance to step up, I would like to play in various leagues.
"As a football player, I think everyone wants to play at a high level throughout the season. When I was in the J-League, I thought it was impossible to play in the five major leagues.
"However, because I was able to achieve a certain amount of results throughout the season with Celtic, I started to think that I would like to challenge myself next time. If there is a chance, I would like to take on the challenge.
"Of course, if I stay with this team, I can still have good experiences, and next season I will be in the Champions League. I think that by always standing at the top and fighting, I will be mentally stronger, so it would be nice if I stayed."
Meanwhile, Celtic appear close to securing the services of Brendan Rodgers for a second time after pushing the boat out to bring their former manager back as Ange Postecoglou’s successor.
The Hoops have been on the hunt for a new boss since the Australian sealed his move to Tottenham last Tuesday.
After being linked with Manchester City assistant Enzo Maresca, Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen and West Ham manager David Moyes, among others, the Celtic board have now homed in on Rodgers, with whom they met in Majorca last weekend to initiate discussions.
The Northern Irishman left Celtic to take over at Leicester almost four and a half years ago, but he now appears set for a return to the club at which he won all seven domestic trophies available to him while laying the foundations for a remarkable quadruple-treble that was completed by his successor Neil Lennon.
