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Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Sun 15 March 2026 13:19, UK

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Celtic will have to pay at least £5m to sign Hearts striker Claudio Braga as the Tynecastle club look to fend off summer interest in their top scorer.

Celtic have been linked with a move for Braga this summer as he shines for Hearts during their Scottish Premiership title charge.

He has scored 15 goals and notched four assists in 36 appearances for Derek McInnes’ side in 2025-26 since a £400,000 move from Norwegian side Aalesund last summer.

As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast, Braga is content at Tynecastle and is not set to push for a move away this summer.

Celtic’s transfer plans are on hold for now as they focus on winning the league over Hearts, while they also need to appoint a new permanent manager to succeed Martin O’Neill.

Claudio Braga is unlikely to join Celtic this summer

Celtic took a big step towards ousting Hearts at the top of the league on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Motherwell, while McInnes’ men lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock.

They are now just two points behind the Jambos with eight games of the season left to play, but regardless of what happens, Braga is not set to move to Parkhead this summer.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: “They want to keep him. Any player outside the Old Firm that is performing in Scotland normally gets linked to them, and that is probably the case with Claudio Braga right now.

“He’s been a revelation for Hearts since his arrival in the summer, and has been instrumental in their title push this season.

“So it’s no surprise that maybe other clubs are looking at him. I’m not too sure there’s too much in this link with Celtic.

“You’re probably looking at around £4-5 million for him right now, due to his form, and as I said, I don’t think Hearts would have any plans to let him move across Scotland to Celtic.

“I think Braga is happy at Hearts, and Hearts are very happy with him, so I don’t see a move in the offing for the Portuguese striker to Celtic.”

Celtic are exploring a summer move for Andy Robertson

Celtic’s summer plans may be on the back burner for now, but they will be looking ahead to the next window with plans to strengthen their backline.

Marcelo Saracchi is set to head back to Boca Juniors after his loan spell, meaning left-back is an area that the club are likely to look to sign a new player in ahead of 2026-27.

Sources have told Football Insider that Celtic want to sign Robertson on a free transfer as he prepares to leave Liverpool at the end of his contract in June.

The Scotland captain is a Hoops fan and was on their books as a youngster, so would welcome the move, but they face competition for his signature from the likes of Tottenham and other Premier League sides if he leaves Anfield.