Celtic treble winner wanted for emotional summer transfer as massive wages demand made over star

Former Celtic star Filip Benkovic has been told a massive wages demand will need to be met if he is to complete an emotional summer move.

The centre-back only spent on season at Parkhead in the 2018/19 campaign, helping the club to a Treble Treble after initially being signed by Brendan Rodgers from Leicester City. Injuries played their part in his stint but now the Croatian centre-back is at Serie A side Udinese.

He spent time at Trabzonspor in Turkey last season and an emotional return to Croatia for the first time since leaving Dinamo Zagreb in 2018 with Osijek has been rumoured. Sporting director Jose Boto has confirmed the interest but insists his parent club would need to pay all of the Celtic treble winner’s wages.

Boto told Tutto Mercato: "Filip would be welcome here, but no one has spoken to me. In order for the operation to go through, the club that currently owns his contract must pay his salary for next season".

Speaking previously of his love for time at Celtic, the defender told Football Scotland: "Every person who asks me about my time there, I will say that it's probably the best year of my football career so far. Since the first day at Celtic, I could see how big the club is and everything around the club, the dressing room, everything. It was first class.

"The Treble has to be the highlight, and the sugar on the cake. It's an honour to be part of that historic result for the club. Sometimes I cannot explain how much I enjoyed being at that club. It was an incredible achievement. It's a special memory in my career."