Portsmouth make Celtic player a transfer target amid West Ham United links with key bargaining chip

Portsmouth are the latest club to be linked with a move for a Celtic player out of contract at the end of the season, amid West Ham United links.

It’s set to be a busy time in the Hoops forward line. Kyogo is poised for a move to Rennes in a deal that will bring an end to three-and-a-half seasons worth of goals and trophies in Hoops. That could pave the way for a new marksman but he might not be the only striker leaving Celtic in the near future.

It was reported recently by Fabrizio Romano that West Ham United and Brighton were both keen on Daniel Cummings. The forward has scored goals for fun in Celtic ‘B’ action this season but is out of terms at the end of the campaign.

Now Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph says that Championship side Portsmouth could turn a rival to West Ham and Brighton for Cummings. They also hold the bargaining chip of first team football right now.

He tweeted: “Portsmouth are keen to sign Celtic striker Daniel Cummings on a pre-contract. The English Championship club want to make the 18yo part of their first team squad. Celtic are yet to formally offer him a new contract.”

If he stays, Cummings could get the chance to try and help replace the goals of Kyogo, with captain Callum McGregor desperate for the Japanese forward to remain in Celtic colours.

McGregor said as quoted by the Express: "He’s a top player. Again, you see his quality, his movement, the way he sets the tone for the team.

“All our good players, we want to keep them for as long as we can and generally when there’s speculation, then people have done well so we want that as well. It gets people talking about Celtic and the players that we’ve got so I’m sure the club will do everything they can to keep him because he’s a top player and a top person as well."