Journalist Dean Jones has made a claim on Celtic’s chances of signing Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo, GiveMeSport report.
The Lowdown: Strachan’s visit
Celtic senior scout Craig Strachan made a 742-mile round trip from Glasgow to Bristol to watch Semenyo in action earlier this month, as reported by Bristol World.
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The 22-year-old scored in a 2-1 win over Reading at Ashton Gate with Strachan in attendance, with the Hoops the latest to check in on the versatile forward.
Semenyo has contributed to 14 goals in the second tier this season, scoring and providing an assist in Saturday’s win over Middlesbrough.
The Latest: Jones’ comments
As reported last month, Bristol City value Semenyo at around £20m, a fee which would smash Celtic’s all-time transfer record, which currently stands at £9.27m.
Jones was talking to GiveMeSport regarding the Hoops’ chances of signing Semenyo in the summer and was unsure the club would have the financial power to do so.
“I don’t know if they could afford him, to be honest.”
The Verdict: Unlikely?
Semenyo’s current contract expires in 2023, so should his situation remain the same, you’d like to think Bristol City’s £20m valuation would come down slightly.
However, the Hoops may still need to write an eight-figure cheque for the first time in their history, making a move unlikely.
Celtic may well activate clauses in Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ loan deals to make them permanent Hoops players in the summer for a combined £12.5m outlay, so spending big on Semenyo might not be a priority for ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
In other news: Celtic source – Ange gives green light to out-of-window exit for ‘arrogant’ ace after talks.