Celtic ‘keeping tabs’ on Daniel Podence Wolves transfer

The 27-year-old is said to be a target of Brendan Rodgers this summer, as he aims to bolster his Hoops frontline.

The Portuguese star is believed to want to quit the Premier League side this summer after falling out of favour at Molineux.

And the Scottish Sun claims Celtic are ready to pounce if the right opportunity arises.

Podence – who played no part in Monday night’s 1-0 Premier League opener loss against Manchester United – is valued at around £12million.

However, Celtic would not be willing to fork out that much on one player.

With less than a year remaining on his deal, it would seem unlikely Wolves would receive that amount anyway.

Podence has been a success for Wolves, but he scored just six goals for the club last term.

Real Betis and Everton has previously shown interest in his services, and there is expected to be major interest from other clubs too prior to the window closing in a fortnight.

Celtic sold Jota to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabid for £25m earlier this summer. While they have added wingers in the form of Yang Hyun-jun and Marco Tilio, Rodgers would like to strengthen that area of his team.

READ MORE: Reo Hatate Celtic injury timeline revealed with star set for spell out

Meanwhile, Celtic could be without Reo Hatate for the next month.

The Japanese midfielder suffered what appeared to be a calf strain at Pittodrie on Sunday.

He was used as a second-half substitute in the Hoops’ 3-1 win over Aberdeen, replacing David Turnbull at the break.

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Manchester United started their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Monday night.

The Red Devils scored the winner through Raphael Varane in the second half, but the result could have been different, had Wolves capitalised on their chances.

The west Midlands outfit had 23 attempts on goal compared to United’s 15. In the dying seconds, Andre Onana was fortuitous to not concede a penalty.

United were guilty of losing possession on a staggering 39 occasions in the attacking third, and manager Erik ten Hag will be eyeing a big improvement going forward.

Aside from the attack, the midfield also produced a below-par showing against Wolves.

Casemiro was left isolated in the centre of the park, and was often outnumbered with Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes taking up attacking positions.

In our view, the Brazilian clearly needed more support. Scott McTominay has the ability to sit in midfield, but he lacks the ball control that Ten Hag desires.

It is quite clear that United need an upgrade on the Scot. Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat would be an ideal choice with his strong concentration and passing skills.

The Morocco international has already given the green light for a transfer, and the onus is on the Red Devils to meet Fiorentina’s request of €30 million.

Amrabat would be a solid competitor to Casemiro with his high work rate and knack for breaking up play with tactical fouls. He rarely loses possession.

The Utrecht graduate has the ability to play on his own, but Ten Hag could also use him alongside Casemiro to control the proceedings in midfield.

United have been linked with a new centre-back for a while, but we clearly believe a new holding midfielder should be prioritised after the Wolves display.

Any move for Amrabat may depend on player sales. Fred recently left the club for Fenerbahce. The Red Devils will receive around €15m including bonuses.

The club need at least one more sale of the same kind before they can pursue Amrabat’s signature.

Donny van de Beek seems the most likely candidate to head for the exit door at the moment with fresh interest from Ajax. Real Sociedad are also interested.

United need to be quick in parting ways with the Dutchman as La Viola may not sanction the sale of Amrabat without landing a suitable replacement.