Celtic 'set to battle' Premier League and Championship sides for talented midfielder

Celtic’s recruitment chiefs will already be working on new signings for next season, and according to reports, they have already identified a new target. Brendan Rodgers and his men will be fully focused on winning the Premiership title, facing Rangers in a potentially defining Old Firm this weekend.

But off the pitch, the recruitment process is never-ending, and Celtic’s latest round of scouting appears to have taken place ion home soil. That’s because, according to the Daily Record, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Queen’s Park youngster Aiden McGinlay. The 17-year-old came through at Partick Thistle’s youth ranks before joining Queen’s Park.

He has gone from strength-to-strength in the Edinburgh side’s under-18s team as well as the B team, and he is now reportedly attracting interest from a number of clubs, including the Hoops. The report claims Norfolk duo Ipswich Town and Norwich City are interested, with the Tractor Boys now preparing for the Premier League, while Norwich are in the Championship playoffs.

Interestingly, McGinlay has already had a two-week trial at Ipswich in the past, and the new Premier League side are said to have kept tabs on him since deciding not to sign him up. The midfielder is a Scotland under-17s international, and it looks as though he will be in for new surroundings this summer. A McGinlay move would mean both Patrick Thistle and Queen’s Park are due training compensation, but it would not be a pricey transfer should Celtic move to strike a deal this summer.