Exclusive: Celtic plot raid to sign £57,000-a-week London-born striker

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Published on:

25 Apr 2020, 6:30 am

Celtic have reignited their 2019 pursuit of Josh Maja as they prepare to battle Rangers for the Bordeaux striker Josh Maja, Football Insider has learned.

The Hoops are braced for the possibility of Odsonne Edouard leaving this summer even though they are working to tie him to a new contract as one of three priority deals.

A Celtic source has told Football Insider that Maja, 21, is on the club's radar once again after they were keen on him in January of last year.

The Scottish champions tried to lure the London-born striker from Sunderland as they looked to snap him up on a bargain deal.

But they were beaten to his signature by Bordeaux who, as reported by Football Insider, signed him for £1.5million and handed him a four-year contract worth £57,000-a-week.

Maja had been earning just £1,000-a-week when he rejected multiple new contract offers from Sunderland to head to the Ligue 1 club.

Rangers are also coveting the centre-forward as they assess striker targets to potentially replace Alfredo Morelos.

Like Edouard, the Light Blues spearhead is a wanted man going into the summer.

Maja has made a reasonable impact in France but has not been a regular starter.

He has scored eight goals from 24 matches for the Bordeaux this season, but made just six Ligue 1 starts.

He was catapulted on to the radar of top clubs after emerging from the Sunderland ranks to score 15 goals in 24 League One matches in the first half of last season.

Maja has been capped once by Nigeria but has dual English and Nigerian citizenship and was on the books of Man City before moving to the Black Cats aged 16.

In other Celtic news, it can be REVEALED that Rangers have been hit by shattering £30m+ blow as Hoops primed for mega boost.

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