CELTIC CONFIDENTIAL: English clubs ready to poach Celtic’s young goal sensation

Celtic have yet to offer a contract extension to coveted teenage striker Daniel Cummings.

Out of contract this summer, the 18-year-old scored his fifth goal in five UEFA Youth League games to sink Club Brugge in last week’s 1-0 win.

The teenager has also scored 22 goals in 20 games for the Parkhead youth team this season.

Brentford, Wolves, Fulham, Ipswich, Sunderland and Burnley feature among a posse of English clubs who have run checks on the forward.

After losing Rocca Vata to Watford and Daniel Kelly to Millwall last summer, Celtic moved to tie up Francis Turley and Colby Donovan on new deals.

Despite his prolific scoring and interest from down south, however, Cummings has yet to receive the offer of an extension to stay put and is free to speak to interested clubs from January 1.

Brendan Rodgers is also seeking a young striker to back up Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah

Furuhashi (left) and Idah (right) need another striker to help share the load at Parkhead

As Celtic Confidential reported last week, Brendan Rodgers is keen to find a younger third striker to provide back-up for Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah.

Asked about Cummings last month, the Celtic boss warned that goals alone won’t be enough to secure a chance in the first team.

‘It’s your mentality. It’s your professionalism. All these things, alongside ability, are what get you the opportunity,’ said Rodgers.

‘In terms of Daniel’s output, his goals in his games, he’s done very well. But, like I say, there’s a lot of factors I consider when bringing in a young player. Ability is the first thing I look at, but your attitude and application are just as important.’

Celtic could expect to earn a figure between £230,000 and £330,000 in training compensation if Cummings eventually leaves.

Celtic will hit £7.3million jackpot if Frimpong joins English big guns

Manchester City are the latest club to be linked with a big-money move for Jeremie Frimpong.

And a return to the Etihad Stadium for the Dutch international could see Celtic rake in a cool £7.3million.

Neil Lennon took the 23-year-old to Glasgow for a bargain £300,000 when he signed him from City in 2019.

Former Celtic star Jeremie Frimpong has been a huge success at Bayer Leverkusen

Frimpong has been identified as potential replacement for the struggling Kyle Walker at Man City

Frimpong left for Bayer Leverkusen in an £11.75m deal two years later and has now emerged as one of the most coveted talents in European football.

Part of the side which won the Bundesliga and reached the Europa League final, the full-back has been linked with a move to Liverpool if Trent Alexander-Arnold fails to sign a new contract.

And, with Kyle Walker now 34, Manchester City are reported to be considering a move to take Frimpong back to the club where he grew up.

Interested clubs will have to meet a £34m release clause, and Celtic shrewdly built in a sell-on clause guaranteeing 30 per cent of any future profit made by Bayer Leverkusen.

When asked about the possibility of him returning to the Etihad Stadium last year, Frimpong told Marca: ‘It would be great, but I don’t know. They have just won the Champions League and are the best team in the world. In the future we will see.’

Rodgers isn’t giving up on sidelined Palma just yet 

Brendan Rodgers insists he is in no rush to nudge winger Luis Palma towards the Celtic exit.

Reports suggest the Honduran international is attracting interest from MLS clubs and could leave in January. 

Rodgers is in the market for a new left-sided attacker in the winter window. Left out of last Saturday’s 5-0 rout of Ross County, which was the third matchday squad from which he’s been absent, Palma has now slipped behind Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda, James Forrest and Yang Hyun-Jun in the pecking order.

Luis Palma is now fifth-choice winger at Celtic but Rodgers refused to close the door on him

Addressing speculation over the wide man’s future, Rodgers said: ‘I haven’t seen anything on that. But there’s nothing really to comment on. Luis hasn’t played a great deal of late. He’s still part of the squad. There’s nothing else more. He’s a good guy, it’s been difficult for him.

‘Players have come in to his position and done really well. If you look at the goal return of Maeda this year. The pressing, all this side of it. And then he was out for a few weeks injured.

‘Yang comes in and does really well. But Luis is working hard every day. He’s well liked within the squad. Of course, I can only pick a certain amount of players. He will continue to work and may get the opportunity as we go along.’ 

This digital sales pitch deserves to be kicked into touch

Celtic’s decision to rent digital, virtual chunks of the Parkhead pitch to supporters for £29.99 a year — £49.99 for three years — drew a ferocious online backlash.

And football finance expert Kieran Maguire has become the latest to join those adding their voice to the dissent.

Co-host of the Price of Football podcast, Maguire aired his withering views on the joint partnership between the Parkhead club and Sportli on social media.

‘For this sum you get a pdf saying you are the owner and of course your friends will be impressed when you frame it in the toilet,’ he wrote.

‘In other news, I’m offering an online course on how to avoid being taken for a mug on the internet. Just send your details and payment to gullible@gmail.com. The first 1,000 enrollers get a 50 per cent discount off the regular price of £499.99.’ Ouch.

Digital virtual chunks of the Celtic Park pitch are available for fans to purchase at £29.99 a year 

Bernabei considering his options after Brazilians blow title chance 

Alexandro Bernabei saw his hopes of landing a Brazilian title go up in smoke at the weekend — and now faces a sweat to see if he is heading back to the Celtic reserves.

The 24-year-old Argentinian has less than a month left of his loan spell at Porto Alegre-based Internacional and suffered last Sunday as a 3-2 loss at Flamengo ended a 16-game unbeaten run as well as any remaining ambitions of catching table-toppers Botafogo.

Bernabei still has two more games to play before his short-term loan deal expires later in the month, but club bosses are now looking at inventive ways to try to extend his stay.

With Celtic reported to be looking for up to £8m for the left-back, and Internacional unable to meet that kind of figure, local reports have suggested negotiations may soon centre around a large sell-on clause of up to 50 per cent being offered to the Scottish champions in a bid to reduce the transfer fee.

Celtic left-back Alexandro Bernabei’s future is still up in the air as his loan spell nears an end

Argentinian defender Bernabei (right), 24, has been playing for Internacional in Brazil

More likely, however, is an attempt to extend the loan agreement, but Cruzeiro are also one of several South American sides taking notice of Bernabei’s recent form and that is likely to result in Celtic holding out to see if a permanent deal can be struck elsewhere.

Internacional goalkeeper Sergio Rochet admits he has been helping Bernabei — who delivered an assist at Flamengo despite enduring a difficult 90 minutes — keep his mind off his future.

‘I am very respectful. I don’t like to talk to players about staying or leaving,’ said Rochet.

‘I spoke to Bernabei as a friend and I try to help him stay focused. That can’t get in the way on the pitch. We have to finish the year in the best way possible.’