According to a report from The Sun on Sunday, Celtic are hoping that they will be able to see off the challenge of Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion and Aston Villa by making a whooping £5 million bid for Nick Powell this summer.
The Seagulls tried to sign the Wigan Athletic man during the January transfer window, but ultimately failed, and report from the above source is now reporting that both Celtic and the Villans have since joined the race to sign the player.
The report adds that the PL club’s plan to try and hijack Celtic and Aston Villa’s move to sign Powell with a £5 million bid when the window reopens, while Chris Hughton’s side also fee that maitaining their Premier League status is likely to give them an advantage.
The player has been in top form in League One this season, netting 12 goals for a Latics side that fine themselves third in the table, six point off the summit, but have four pending games over current leaders Blackburn Rovers.
If the player is able to maintain his present form at a higher level, then sanctioning £5 million for him would without any doubt be a bargain in today’s game.
And if Aston Villa can capitalise on their good position in the Championship and perhaps secure Premier League promotion, and Celtic hold onto top spot in the Scottish Premiership and can thus offer potential Champions League football next season, Brighton may need more aces up their sleeve than just being able to offer Powell another crack at the top flight.