Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen has played down speculation over a move to Celtic for Kasper Hogh after his mystery absence. The Scottish champions have revived their interest from January, when the Hoops entered the chase for the striker with the clock ticking down on the window. At that stage, Celtic had already snapped up Tomas Cvancara from Borussia Monchengladbach on a loan deal, and the Norwegian side raised their asking price after progress in the Champions League.
Reports of talks and benching
Reports in Norway suggest that the Glasgow giants have already launched talks with Bodo over a deal, and speculation over a move gathered pace on Wednesday night. The club's top scorer was surprisingly benched for the league clash with HamKam, with Andreas Helmersen given the nod up front. As his replacement netted a double, the Denmark international was forced to watch on from the bench.
Knutsen's explanation
After the game, Knutsen insisted the decision was only made to rest the striker. Addressing the shake-up to TV2 post-match, he said: "The match today is a step in the right direction. The group has worked hard. We have had some who have not been here, because they have been involved in other fun things [World Cup, international games], but the group has done extremely well. The whole group is signing up, they need to be ready. We have to work a little and change our players."
Price tag speculation
Reports had originally suggested that Bodo were asking for £7million for the frontman, who is contracted until 2029. However, Radio Sporten reported that there is "lukewarm" interest in selling Hogh and more cash will be required. The report speculates it could prove to be "more than Celtic are willing to pay."
