Talent who had Celtic trials in 2025 wanted by Wrexham as transfer interest heats up over 'top prospect'
Hoops target and Cliftonville prospect Shay Reid has already had two trial periods with Celtic and he is now subject to interest from English Championship newcomers Wrexham.
Celtic could be set to miss out on 51-goal Irish teenage star Shay Reid with the striker subject to interest from the likes of English Championship duo Wrexham and Preston North End, according to our sister title The Belfast News Letter.
Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen have also been credited with keeping an eye on the Cliftonville academy ace. Newly-promoted Welsh-based Wrexham, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are gearing up for promotion push to the Premier League with the likes of ex-Fulham and Scotland midfielder Tom Cairney linked. Preston on the other hand are currently managed by ex-Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom and have a history of brining in talent from across the Irish Sea.
Prospect Reid had two Celtic trials
Reid recently had two trial periods at Lennoxtown but returned with the Hoops having stalled on a transfer decision. The 16-year-old topped the Northern Ireland U20 Premiership Development League goal-scoring charts, scoring 23 goals in 32 appearances. He also bagged 21 goals for at U18 level to take his goal tally over 50 for the campaign. Cliftonville’s academy set-up has already produced an array of stars over recent years, including the likes of Sean Moore, who joined Premier League giants West Ham United in 2023.
Brendan Rodgers’ side won the Scottish Premiership title last term and picked up the Premier Sports Cup trophy but they missed out on the treble to the Dons. They are now gearing up for the new campaign and the Uefa Champions League play-off round.
And Daily Record transfer insider Scott Burns suspects that Celtic will add at least five new players to their squad in the summer transfer window. Burns claims outgoings are likely to influence just how many are signed but feels five is a safe estimate when it comes to incomings.
"I think Celtic will make at least four or five signings,” Burns explained. "That would be a left-back, if Greg Taylor does go, a central midfielder, a defensive midfielder, a right winger and possibly another striker."
Reid would likely play for Celtic B
If Reid did join Celtic, it would be likely that he would play for the club’s B team - who play in the Scottish Lowland Football League. They finished second last season behind SPFL-promoted East Kilbride under Stephen McManus and Jonny Hayes’ stewardship. The B team can’t qualify for the pyramid play-offs but are still targeting a first title success. Next season, the Lowland League will split into a West and East as part of a fifth-tier reconstruction package.
If Celtic choose to stay around - they’ll be in the West division and go up against the likes of Coatbridge’s Albion Rovers along with nearby clubs Clydebank and Pollok also likely to make the move to the new-look league system. Club chiefs descended on Celtic Park earlier this month for the league’s AGM, and a final vote on reconstruction package passed 14-1 with Caledonian Braves the only team to go against the proposal document - which will now be implemented once the Scottish FA Board sign off the rule changes in June.