Key development in Celtic pursuit of Middlesbrough deal amid Rangers links | OneFootball

Celtic are set to end their interest in Middlesbrough shotstopper Tom Glover

Highlights

Reigning Scottish Premiership and Cup champions Celtic are expected to end their transfer interest in Middlesbrough goalkeeper Tom Glover with Aston Villa's Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel set to battle it out as Joe Hart's replacements for 2024/25.

According to the Northern Echo, the Bhoys are set to bring the ex-Leicester City man to Celtic Park, where the free agent would be reunited with his former Foxes boss Brendan Rogers following his exit from Belgian side Anderlecht should a deal be completed, and Sinisalo is likely to be his competition for the starting spot.

Prior to their advance for Schmeichel, Celtic, along with bitter rivals Rangers, had been linked with a move for Australian international Glover by the Scottish Sun.

Meanwhile, according to the Daily Record, Rogers' side had been interested in Newcastle United shot-stopper Martin Dubravka, but both the Magpies and their fellow North East club Boro look set to retain their respective goalkeepers as Celtic close in on Denmark's number one.

Glover may be disappointed by Celtic development

The 26-year-old is Seny Dieng's deputy at Boro, and only managed 12 Championship appearances for Michael Carrick's team last campaign.

The former Melbourne City goalkeeper may have been relishing the potential opportunity to join the Scottish Premiership giants, while Hart's retirement could have handed him number one status at Celtic Park, where he would have enjoyed Champions League football next campaign, but this will not be possible in the likely looking event that Rogers and co sign Schmeichel.

However, Glover now looks set for another season of being the back-up shotstopper at the Riverside, which is clearly the less glamorous option unless he can either beat Dieng to a starting 11 spot, or if further transfer interest surfaces this summer.

A Celtic move for Glover would also have offered Boro a chance to cash in on their man, after he signed a three-year deal when he joined the club last summer.

Boro will be glad to see Glover stay

While the goalkeeper may have benefited from a move to a Champions League club who currently have a number one vacancy, his current club will be glad to retain his services.

While Dieng will likely remain Carrick's first choice, the Riverside outfit are short of back-up options after Liam Roberts' contract expired following the end of the 2023/24 season which he spent on loan at League One side Barnsley.

Experienced goalkeeper Jamie Jones also saw his Boro contract expire earlier this summer, although he could still be set to agree fresh terms with Carrick and co after he attended the club's warm weather training camp in Portugal last week, as revealed by Teesside Live.

This may surprise some of the Riverside faithful given the fact that the 35-year-old has not made a single appearance in the North East since signing on a free transfer from Wigan Athletic last summer.

A new deal for Jones could also be bad news for Glover, who will surely have his eyes set on first team football, something he frequently enjoyed back in Australia.

However, it could also be argued that the 26-year-old did not make the best account of himself last campaign as he conceded 15 goals and maintained just one clean sheet in 12 Championship outings, so also keeping Jones on Teesside could be a good move for Boro.