Martin O’Neill is seeking firepower in a bid to revive their stumbling title hopes
Motivated Callum Wilson wants to be the star man at his next club with him locked in talks to secure his release from West Ham.
The 33-year-old is set to hit the open market and Alan Stubbs reckons he would be the perfect striker to lead the line under Martin O’Neill.
Celtic are locked in talks to convince Kyogo to say yes to a blockbuster return to Glasgow after his nightmares at Rennes and Birmingham City. And Wilson is also expected to attract serious interest when his wish is granted with reported interest from La Liga and Saudi Arabia.
Celtic are in the hunt for added firepower as they aim to ignite their flailing title hopes after the return of O’Neill. The BBC state Wilson wants regular football and isn’t keen on accepting a peripheral role at the London Stadium.
Boss Nuno – who previously laughed off claims Wilson was earning reduced minutes due to a reported pay-as-you-play deal – admitted both were frank with each other when they met behind closed doors.
The Portuguese boss, leading a West Ham side cut adrift by seven points in the Premier League relegation zone, said: “Me and Callum we had a lot of conversations, just 10 minutes ago we were speaking about that situation.
“Two strikers have joined, correct. I personally decided these strikers have joined. Callum is a very experienced man, he’s been in the game for so much time, he knows that his position has changed. We were honest with each other. Yes, your position has changed, but you are still a player for the club and we still maybe need him and he should help us because he joined us.”
Birmingham boss Chris Davies insists Kyogo still has a future with the Championship side, however, it’s understood a loan deal will be rubber-stamped if the Japan international can be convinced. If Kyogo is to be coaxed back to Glasgow then it will be warmly received by skipper Callum McGregor.
The Parkhead leader – who waxed lyrical about Kyogo’s movement – publicly aired his disappointment after the Japan international left for Rennes last January.
From the Celtic: Another Season in Paradise documentary, he said: “It was disappointing to lose Kyogo. He was the main man for us for three years. He scored in all the big games. He set the tempo for the way that we wanted to play.
“That’s the reality of football. You lose a good player. We were lucky that we could bring Jota back. He was someone that we knew had huge quality. He could deal with the temperament of playing for Celtic.”
Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond.
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We’re also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football.