Brentford ‘interested’ in signing Celtic star whose ‘contract talks have stalled’
Brentford have leapfrogged Tottenham in the race to sign Celtic star Daizen Maeda heading into the final month of the transfer window.
That is according to former Man United and Tottenham scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the 27-year-old is interested in a move away from Parkhead this summer.
Talks over a potential new contract at Celtic have stalled in recent weeks and clubs are believed to be keeping a close eye on his situation.
This comes after Brown told Football Insider on 28 July that Maeda has had his head turned by Premier League interest and is unwilling to commit to a new deal.
While he is happy to remain at Parkhead and will not force a move away, he is planning to assess any offers that come in before making a decision about his future.
This comes after Football Insider revealed earlier this month that Celtic had held contract talks with Maeda and were optimistic of reaching an agreement.
Tottenham and Brentford race to sign £25m Celtic star
Football Insider revealed on 4 July that Tottenham and Brentford are interested in signing Maeda in a deal that could be worth as much as £25million.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that Brentford are the more likely of the interested clubs to make a move as Spurs are looking elsewhere.
“Maeda is interested in a move to the Premier League,” he told Football Insider.
“I’d be surprised if Tottenham decided he was the one they wanted to bring in.
“I think they’ve got a few targets in his position and at the moment they’re going to be looking at others to come in and make a difference.
“Brentford are interested in him as well, and they’ve got a great track record in the market.
“They’ve been assessing him for a while, they’ll know his strengths and weaknesses, what he can bring to the team and where he would fit in.
“At the moment, they’re more likely to make a move for him than Tottenham are.
“Brentford have lost Mbeumo and Wissa might be going too, so they’ll be looking for a new forward.
“They’ve always found top replacements for players before and this might be the latest example of that, if they can agree a deal with Celtic.”
Brendan Rodgers eyes four new signings at Parkhead
Despite ongoing speculation about Maeda’s future at Parkhead, the club are set to accelerate plans to strengthen Brendan Rodgers’ squad before the season begins.
Football Insider revealed on 23 July that Celtic are working to replace Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi following their moves to Como and Rennes respectively.
A new striker and winger have risen to the top of their transfer priorities in the last month of the window, with work already underway behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, Football Insider revealed on 22 July that Celtic want to sign a new central midfielder and centre-back to strengthen the spine of their team.
For more Celtic and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.