Sources: Celtic accelerate deal to sign Daizen Maeda replacement with eyeopening stats
Celtic are exploring a deal for Lazio winger Matteo Cancellieri as they to bolster their attacking ranks, sources have told Football Insider.
Martin O'Neill is targeting a new right-sided forward as Daizen Maeda finalises a £10million move to Ipswich Town.
Celtic have now turned their attention to a potential replacement in the shape of Cancellieri.
Sources say Lazio are willing to accept an offer worth less than their current £12.8m valuation.
That opens the door for the Scottish champions, whose budget pales in comparison to Europe's elite clubs.
Hyun-jun Yang played the most off the right for Celtic last season, with James Forrest as his backup and Benjamin Nygren also featuring there too.
The majority of Hoops fans are irate with their board for how slowly their transfer business is being dealt with this summer.
Who is Matteo Cancellieri?
Cancellieri was born in Rome to a Italian father and Cuban mother, and has represented Italy's youth teams and senior team.
The 24-year-old is a left-footed right winger who can feature on the left flank and as a second striker, and stands at six foot tall.
He came through Roma's academy and, in March 2018, gained nationwide fame for being pushed by Shakhtar Donetsk player Facundo Ferreyra while working as a ball boy during a Champions League round of 16 clash.
Cancellieri left the club for Hellas Verona in 2020 and made his professional debut for the club in the Coppa Italia in August 2021.
His impressive early performances saw Lazio agree a loan deal for the 2022-23 season, and they went on to trigger his buy clause at the end of the campaign.
Roberto Mancini recognised his potential around that time and handed him a senior international debut in June 2022 during a Nations League clash against Germany.
He scored four goals in 36 games on loan at Empoli in 2023-24, including a strike to keep them in the Serie A on the final day of the season, then bagged three times in 27 outings on loan at Parma in the next campaign.
Cancellieri returned to the Lazio fold to register four goals and two assists in 35 appearances last season, but could now be allowed to leave the club.
He boasted impressive statistics for duels won, fouls won, tackles and interceptions per 90 when compared to other Serie A wingers last term
Could Celtic complete double Lazio swoop?
Sources have revealed to Football Insider that Celtic's board have caused "massive unrest" within the squad after failing to sign Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi.
They need to act quickly to get some deals done before their first Premiership game of the new season on 3 August.
As well as Cancellieri, the same reporter has claimed that Celtic hold an interest in fellow Lazio forward Gustav Isaksen.
Isaksen scored five times in 35 appearances for the Italian capital club last season, but is currently injured and underwent hernia surgery in early July.