Celtic tracking Bosnian World Cup hero Ermin Mahmic

“Ermin Mahmić is a rockstar! Gets off the bench, scores nonchalantly! We gotta have him in Celtic,” Ika Ferrer Gotić

Celtic have been credited with an interest in Bosnian World Cup star Ermin Mahmic, according to reports in the Czech Republic.

21 year old Mahmic who plays his club football for Slovan Liberec, impressed at the World Cup finals, scoring two goals in five appearances in the United States, and in doing so became the highest World Cup goalscorer in Bosnian and Herzegovina history.

According to InFotbal.cz, Celtic have moved to a ‘new phase’ in the transfer process by enquiring the players wage demands, and what price Slovan Liberec are demanding for their prize asset.

Mahmic who was born in Austria, and represented his birth country at youth level, before deciding to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina, is an attacking midfielder, and is regarded as one of the hottest young talents in European football.

The report also alleges that Besiktas have been circling around the transfer, although “this direction does not look very realistic at the moment” – with the player himself rejecting moves to the like Swiss side Basel, and Danny Rohl’s RB Salzburg for £4.2m up front and a healthy resale.

Former Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou, now in charge of Toulouse is also reportedly keen on the player, although Mahmic reportedly rebuffing a move to France also.

That could open the door for Celtic to swoop, although the report concedes that “they have other options on their list”.

Any successful move for the player will most see the Czech transfer record being smashed. The current outgoing Czech transfer record is currently held by Milan Baroš, who left Baník for Liverpool in 2001 for £5.9m.

Celtic are in the market for a midfielder, despite having just signed Mika Baur from Paderborn, as well as being linked with Lithuanian star Gvidas Gineitis along with Miguel Chaiwa of Hibs.

Could Mahmic be our next capture? Or alternatively will he end up moving to Italy as was originally predicted?