Celtic have been linked with Hearts star Braga this summer
Could Hearts star Claudio Braga be replacing Benjamin Nygren at Celtic?
Celtic have been linked with a summer bid for the Scottish Player of the Year Claudio Braga. Footballer Insider’s Peter O’Rouke insists the Portuguese star is on a list of potential targets for Celtic this transfer window. Hearts midfielder Braga only signed for Hearts last summer and was a big reason for the club challenging to the final day last season.
Despite him picking up the top award in Scotland, it’s hard to see where Braga fits into the new look Celtic front line, if the rumoured interest is true. With Høgh and Duran about to be joined by Hassan, it’s unclear if Braga would establish himself in the new look front line under Martin O’Neill.
There is however another scenario that could play out. Could Celtic’s interest in Braga indicate that the club are anticipating summer interest in Benjamin Nygren? Could Celtic be positioning Braga as a replacement for the goalscoring Swede?
Nygren has been linked with several clubs down south including Everton and Tottenham this summer. After scoring 21 goals last season, replacing that kind of output would be no easy task. The midfielders goalscoring exploits will not have gone unnoticed and if Celtic receive a high bid they might find it hard to ignore. Nygren’s importance to Celtic was on show once again on Monday night when he got the winning goal against Dundee.
Braga would be an option for Celtic.
That’s where Celtic’s interest in Hearts forward Braga would begin to make more sense. If Nygren does leave then Celtic will be losing a huge amount of goal contributions from last seasons team. Celtic already need to add several midfielders to the squad but if the Swede does move on, then an attacking player who can add goals will be high on the agenda.
The price would be crucial
Whether Celtic make their move would depend on several factors including the price Hearts are asking for. They would quite rightly be looking to maximise any return for the key asset they’d be losing. It’s yet to be seen how far Celtic would be willing to push the boat out should they decide to make a move this window.
So if Celtic’s interest in Braga is genuine, is that the club preparing for the sale of their top scorer? Do you think Braga is good enough for Celtic?
All views expressed on Celtic DNA are personal opinions and are for commentary and discussion purposes only
