Championship duo in two-horse race for Celtic 28-year-old - report

By Will Butcher

Nottingham Forest have joined Blackburn in the race to sign Celtic defender Efe Ambrose, according to a report.

Earlier this month, The Scottish Daily Mail claimed that Blackburn had tabled an offer for the 28-year-old defender, which was believed to be a loan until the end of the season.

However, the Daily Mail have now claimed on their transfer blog (January 31, 12.18pm) that Nottingham Forest are to rival Blackburn in the race to sign the 47-time Nigeria international.

Ambrose's contract at Celtic is set to expire in May, and he is likely to be available to leave in a cut-price deal on deadline day.

Former senior Sky Sports reporter Graeme Bailey claimed on his personal Twitter account on Tuesday that the defender looked to be heading to the second tier of English football.

Both Blackburn and Forest are desperate to bolster their defences, as they sit near the bottom of the Championship and are in danger of falling by the wayside.

Bringing in Ambrose could boost either one of the Championship relegation candidates, as they look to stem flow of goals conceded.

Ambrose has fallen down the pecking order on Parkhead, with the likes of Jozo Simunovic, Dedryck Boyata and Erik Sviatchenko considered ahead of him.

This season, Ambrose has failed to feature since July when he made two appearances in the qualifying stage for the Champions League group stage.

Football Insider verdict:

Although not playing since July, Ambrose would be a top signing for most Championship clubs with plenty of experience in elite competition as well as on the international stage. Forest's summer signing Damien Perquis has failed to shine, while Jack Hobbs and Matt Mills fail to replicate the kind of form that had previously made them household names in the Championship. At Blackburn, Ambrose could team up at centre-back with former Hoops teammate Charlie Mulgrew, after the pair spent four years between 2012 and 2016 together in Glasgow. For both clubs, Ambrose would be a huge signing and could save them from a relegation dog fight.

In other Celtic transfer news, manager Brendan Rodgers is braced for a huge offer from this Premier League side.

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