Celtic are closing in on signing Chelsea wonderkid Landon Emenalo on a season-long loan deal. The Parkhead club have targeted the left-back as cover for Kieran Tierney after passing up on the chance to re-sign Marcelo Saracchi earlier this summer.
VIP tour and pre-season form
The Daily Record reports that the 18-year-old has already been given a VIP tour of the Hoops' training HQ in Lennoxtown as well as Celtic Park. The Scottish champions are hopeful of rubber-stamping a switch for the highly-rated teenager, who starred for Chelsea in pre-season.
Emenalo has been capped by both England and the United States at international youth level and has caught the eye of new Stamford Bridge boss Xabi Alonso in his three friendly appearances this summer. The son of former Chelsea technical director Michael has been tipped to have a huge future with the Blues, and the Premier League giants are keen for the youngster to head out on loan to continue his development.
More signings expected
Speaking earlier this month, Martin O'Neill insisted there was 'no question' that Celtic would make more signings this summer, but he wants 'quality rather than quantity'.
He said: "We're trying to get some quality into the football club. We've lost Daizen, he was a big, big player for us and so we have to replace him. I think that we're doing our best to do that. We will get some more players in, there's no question about that, but I want quality rather than quantity."
Hassan deal completed
It's already been a busy week for Celtic, who clinched the signing of Egypt World Cup star Haissem Hassan on a four-year deal from Real Oviedo for an initial £6million. O'Neill also discussed that transfer, saying: "We'd been tracking him in January time. We were hoping that we'd be able to do something. Oviedo, obviously, at the bottom end, bottom rung of the league, were unwilling to let anybody go at that stage, which is totally understandable.
"It wasn't as if to say he was just like an afterthought for us in the last couple of weeks. Far from it. We have been chasing him, a number of players in that sort of position that we feel as if they will add something to us. He very, very much fitted the bill. I’m delighted that he's here and hopefully he'll do well."
