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Report: Southampton look to securing summer deal for 32-goal Celtic outcast

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Image for Report: Southampton look to securing summer deal for 32-goal Celtic outcast

Southampton are looking to bring Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham to St Mary’s in the summer, according to reports.

With the future of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg looking uncertain, the Saints are looking to find a sufficient replacement to fill the Denmark international’s shoes, if he does decide to leave the club when the 2019/20 campaign is brought to a close.

The former France U21 international has been a key asset in the Scottish side’s dominant campaign, having scored four goals and providing two assists in 23 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season.

According to Football Insider, Ntcham is on the radar of Ralph Hasenhuttl and there is “hope” that he could be attracted to a club that has an established Premier League status.

Should Southampton sign Olivier Ntcham?

Yes

Yes

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No

The report adds that the fact he is not a key starter for Neil Lennon’s side could influence his decision to leave Celtic Park in a bid to play more minutes at Southampton, after going public with his frustrations at Scottish football.

Ntcham moved north of the border after signing for the Hoops from Manchester City for £4.5m in 2017.

Celtic fans themselves are torn on whether he is the best option for their team going forward. Some keen to keep hold of him while others would be happy to show him the door due to his inconsistency.

However, manager Neil Lennon insisted that he is an “exceptional talent” so he could still have a future at Celtic, having scored 32 goals in his career so far.

Could he fill Hojbjerg’s shoes? Probably not straight away, but there will have to be an element of reliance that he can perform even better than he has done with the Scottish champions, which is not guaranteed.

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