Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Thu 20 July 2023 16:16, UK

Celtic defender Bosun Lawal is a loan target for League One duo Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers, sources have told Football Insider.

The 20-year-old centre-back is likely to leave Parkhead for the upcoming 2023/24 season.

Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers have registered their interest in signing Lawal as they look to bolster their options ahead of the new campaign.

Lawal is highly regarded in Glasgow after joining Celtic from Watford in the summer of 2021.

The young defender has only made one appearance for Celtic since joining the club, with a three-minute cameo coming in the Scottish Cup last season.

Lawal rose through the ranks of Watford’s academy between 2019 and 2021 but rejected a one-year contract with the Hornets in favour of moving to Scotland.

However, he has been unable to force his way into the first-team picture at Celtic Park and the coaching staff have opted to send him on loan to gather experience.

He played 1,800 minutes of youth football for Celtic’s B side last season, scoring six times and registering two assists despite spending the majority of his time in defence.

Lawal’s mostly been deployed at centre-back during his time at Celtic, but has also shown his versatility by playing further forward in a midfield role.

Lawal has also impressed on the international stage having represented the Republic of Ireland since being called up to the Under-15s squad.

He remains a part of Ireland’s setup having now made four appearances for the country’s Under-21s side.

In other news, Pundit drops ‘outstanding’ claim as Celtic close in on new signing