English club 'close in' on Celtic target following promising trial period, Wrexham also set to be snubbed
Celtic have been snubbed of another summer transfer target this window.
Celtic have been beaten in the race to snap up promising trialist Shay Reid. The rising 17-year-old star has been the subject of a lot of transfer attention this summer but amid the ongoing interest, he is set to take on a new chapter in his career in England.
According to the Lancashire Post, Preston North End are ‘closing in on a deal’ to sign Reid from current club Cliftonville in Northern Ireland. The teen has been shining for the U18s side and has enjoyed a few trial spells as he considers his next move.
Celtic miss out on trialist Shay Reid
Following a tricky run in the EFL Championship last season, Preston are adding new recruits to their roster to avoid a repeat of their previous relegation scare. PNE finished the season in 20th place, just one point above the relegation zone as Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town faced the drop.
Reid has attracted a lot of attention recently, thanks to his performances for the reserve and youth teams at Cliftonville last year, in which he scored more than 50 goals across the board. While the teen is yet to make a senior appearance for the Belfast outfit, he featured on the bench against Derry City earlier this month.
Reid has also shown off his pedigree in the UEFA Youth League, where he scored in his sole appearance. The 17-year-old striker had some trial time with Celtic, who became interested in signing him, as did the likes of Aberdeen, Luton Town, and historic promoted side Wrexham, who will compete with Preston North End in the Championship this season.
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Celtic are expected to oversee further deals this transfer window on both the signing and sales front. With Rangers kicking into gear as they attempt to close the gap on the Hoops this season, Brendan Rodgers and co are also assessing their areas in need of improvement.
Following a hefty 5-1 defeat at the hands of Ajax in their latest pre-season friendly, Rodgers reiterated his desire for Celtic to target further new signing and bring them in to improve his side.
“I think that’s the nature of a pre-season. It’s designed to grow, and by the end of it, you’ve had really good tests. We saw that tonight. I was seeing players on the next level and how they cope, and it’s a reminder really of the work that we have to do on the pitch and off the pitch.
“It depends on what your ambition is. If your ambition is to really progress and push forward, then we need to improve the squad. But I can’t fault the players. Those that are here, they’ve been working so well, so hard, and you see some of the play and how they work has been very, very good.
“However, if you’re going to progress, then, as I said, you need to bring in quality, and that’s something that we hope to do.”