CELTIC could turn to Roma starlet Stefano Okaka after having an initial £1.9million bid for Tours striker Olivier Giroud rejected.
French outfit Tours have booted out the Hoops’ opening offer for hitman Giroud and have demanded closer to £2.5m.
The 23-year-old remains the top target for Tony Mowbray and the Parkhead manager is reluctant to give up the fight for the 13-goal striker, who is also wanted by Middlesbrough, PSG and Monaco.
But contingency plans have been put in place should the cash row with Ligue 2 club Tours fail to be resolved, and 20-year-old Okaka has emerged as a standby option.
Okaka is desperate to play regular first-team football but has been knocked down the Roma pecking order by the arrival of Luca Toni on loan from Bayern Munich.
Livorno are also on his trail and Celtic will have a clearer picture on his availability after the player’s agent, Domenico Scopelliti, meets Roma directors this weekend.
He said: “If Stefano moves to an Italian club then a deal could be a co-ownership one, but if he goes abroad then he is likely to go on loan with the option of making the transfer a permanent one at the end of the season.”
That would suit Celtic, who have a limited budget available in January, but will have more cash available come the summer window.
Okaka proved his credentials this season with a strike in Roma’s Europa League win against Fulham and has been linked with a move to Craven Cottage as well as Portsmouth.
Celtic have now entered the frame and if Mowbray doesn’t get any joy with subsequent Giroud bids, the focus could switch quickly to Serie A.
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Dont really see this happening.
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