Eddie Howe identifies big-name star on expiring deal as first Celtic signing

Josh King has been identified by incoming Celtic boss Eddie Howe as one of his main transfer targets when he takes over the Scottish Premiership giants.

Josh King played for Eddie Howe at Bournemouth. Picture: SNS

The 29-year-old is out of contract in the summer and looks unlikely to sign a new deal at Everton having failed to earn a single start since signing a short-term deal in January.

The Norwegian striker previously starred for Howe at Bournemouth, including the 2016/17 campaign where he struck 16 goals in the Premier League.

According to the Scottish Sun, Howe is hopeful of convincing the player he’s better coming north of the border to reignite his career after two poor seasons rather than remaining in the EPL. King would need to accept a significant wage cut as it’s believed he’s on somewhere in the region of £45,000-a-week at Goodison.

It is believed the player will be a replacement for French striker Odsonne Edouard who, with 14 months remaining on his deal, is expected to be sold this summer.

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.