Celtic: Reported target set for Serie A move as club holds out for hefty transfer fee

Rumoured Celtic target Aaron Boupendza appears bound for Serie A, amid interest from a host of clubs.

A general view of Celtic Park

Atalanta and Fiorentina are understood to be leading the chase for the Gabonese forward, who scored more than 20 goals for Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor since joining from Bordeaux in 2020, and the player is believed to be holding talks with both clubs.

Celtic were credited with an interest in Boupendza in March, with reports in Turkey claiming that Hoops chiefs had opened discussions with Hatayspor over a potential transfer.

A bid of around £7 million from Russian Premier League side Krasnodar was accepted earlier this year only for Boupendza to turn down the move while Fenerbahce were said to be monitoring the forward along with a string of Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Brighton, Spurs, Leicester, and Newcastle.

Hatayspor's president Dr Luftu Savas told a Turkish media outlet that there was no agreement with Fenerbahce, adding: “There are wishes and ideas. If an agreement is reached that satisfies both sides, a transfer is possible. But such an agreement and the terms of a transfer have not yet been discussed in detail.”

Dr Savas also confirmed that the club would be looking for a fee of around £8.5m for Boupendza.

Hatayspor’s refusal to budge on a hefty transfer fee looks to have priced some clubs, including Celtic, out of a move, with Haber365 reporting that the player will almost certainly end up in Italy.

That said, new Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will have his own targets so it is unlikely that Boupendza’s impending transfer will cause too many sleepless nights among the Parkhead hierarchy.

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