Exclusive: Celtic make approach to sign Joseph after rival bid rejected
Celtic have made contact with Wigan Athletic about signing Scotland Under-19 striker Kyle Joseph, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The Glasgow giants have joined the race for the in-demand youngster amid major doubts over his future at the DW Stadium.
A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Celtic's move is a preliminary one aimed at gauging the state of play over Joseph.
It comes after this site revealed last Friday that Wigan have rejected an offer of around £500,000 for Joseph.
The financially-stricken League One strugglers are hopeful of securing a higher fee for the breakout star.
Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael revealed at his media conference on Thursday he is looking to recruit a new striker this month.
But the major advantage Celtic and Rangers have over English clubs is they can take advantage of cross-border rules to sign Joseph on a pre-contract.
His current deal at Wigan expires at the end of the season and they could be forced to cash in this month.
Wigan have offered Joseph a new deal, but the youngster may look to leave the DW Stadium with the team facing a second consecutive relegation.
The London-born youngster, who has been capped at Scotland at Under-19 level, has made a huge first-team impact since graduating from Wigan's youth ranks.
He did not make his debut until October but has already scored five goals from just 13 league appearances, including a hat-trick against Burton Albion last month.