Offer on the table as Celtic close in on 28-year-old transfer - report

By Alex Stevens

Celtic defender Efe Ambrose is closing in on a January transfer to Blackburn, according to a report.

The Scottish Daily Mail claim the English Championship outfit have offered a contract to the 28-year-old as they target reinforcements in their bid to avoid relegation.

It is said that Ambrose is wanted by Blackburn manager Owen Coyle on a loan transfer for the rest of the season.

The Mail report that another unnamed English club is willing to offer Ambrose a permanent deal, while there is also the offer of a two-year contract with French club Bastia on the table.

The Nigeria international's desire to secure a British passport could be key to his decision on where to take the next step in his career.

Ambrose is one of a number of Celtic fringe players who could permanently leave the club this month, with Kris Commons, Nadir Ciftci and Dedryk Boyata also deemed surplus to requirements under Brendan Rodgers.

Ambrose has made only two appearances for Celtic this season and has not been named in the matchday squad since their Champions League qualification campaign in July.

Ambrose, who has accumulated 48 caps for his country, has been frozen out by Rodgers after failing to secure a move in the summer transfer window, with the defender snubbing a transfer to Belgian outfit Standard Liege.

His penultimate match in a Hoops shirt was the infamous 1-0 defeat to amateurs Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltor in late July.

That could prove to be the ignominious end to Ambrose's time at Celtic, where he has played 169 matches since joining from FC Ashdod in 2012.

Football Insider verdict:

Rodgers has made it clear that his squad is too big and he wants to get rid of the dead wood. Ambrose can be included in the group of senior Celtic men - along with Ciftci, Boyata, Commons and perhaps Gary Mackay-Steven - who have no future at Parkhead and are clearly not going to play any first-team football this season. They need to find new clubs and quick smart. If Ambrose wants to play first-team football rather than train with the stiffs and pick up his weekly pay cheque, he needs to accept a realistic offer and march through the Celtic exit door.

In other Celtic transfer news, the club have agreed the terms of a January deal for a goal machine.