Celtic to walk away from striker as club reject £5m-plus bid

Celtic look unlikely to move for Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie this month after learning how much the Edinburgh club want for the 23-year-old.

Hibs have already rejected a bid worth more than £5 million from Serie A side Hellas Verona, according to the Daily Record. The Easter Road club value their forward significantly higher, and it remains to be seen whether any team will be willing to meet that asking price before the transfer window closes.

Celtic have been linked with Bowie as they search for another striker. Martin O’Neill’s side have already brought in Tomas Cvancara on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach, with a £7 million option to buy, but are expected to add at least one more attacking option after losing several key goals from last season.

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Celtic to walk away from striker as club reject £5m-plus bid

However, the price being discussed for Bowie appears out of step with Celtic’s usual business and with the player’s current record. The forward has scored eight goals in 22 league games this season, a solid return but not one that would usually lead to a record fee between two Scottish clubs.

Any deal at the level Hibs are said to want would surpass the current benchmark, Scott Brown’s £4.4 million move to Celtic from Hibernian back in 2007. Given that Bowie is 23 and not a teenager breaking scoring records, the likelihood of Celtic entering that kind of bidding battle looks slim.

Instead, the Scottish champions are expected to focus on options from outside the Premiership, most likely on loan with an option to buy, as they try to boost their attack without committing to a major permanent outlay this late in the window.