Celtic told to pay at least £4.1m to sign midfielder target this January

BK Häcken sporting director Erik Friberg has been speaking about reported Celtic transfer target Abdoulaye Doumbia ahead of the January transfer window.

The 19-year-old holding midfielder has been impressing over in Sweden, making 26 appearances, scoring three and assisting twice.

Backen boss Jans Gustaffson has said of the midfielder: “Considering how professional he is, you can essentially put no limits on him.”

And with the Swedish season finishing at the end of November, with the playoffs continuing a little beyond then, there is talk Doumbia could be available in the January window.

Celtic and a host of Premier League clubs have been linked with a move, and they now know the minimum fee it will take to get a deal done.

Speaking to Göteborgs-Posten, Backen director Friberg said: "It’s big if you look at which clubs have been watching him and which clubs are talking about him. Right now, there’s nothing really concrete, but I think it could happen eventually.

“We are very, very happy with him. He has taken a starting place straight away and has been one of the best young players we have seen over a whole year. It is something special.”

On the youngster's development, he added: “Great. In many ways too. He loves to compete and is a character – that is important and will take him very far. He is constantly driving and will only get better and better.”

With a number of clubs being linked, there are rumours aplenty, but nothing is advanced at this point, with Friberg confirming: “No, no meeting has taken place. But that’s how it is all the time – there are rumours and prices for players. It said that they would be prepared to pay €5m, but there’s no truth to it whatsoever."

Asked if a deal is likely in the January window, he said: “No, I don’t want to say that. Then if he’s here for another six months or a year, we’ll see. But we’re very, very happy with him.”

Doumbia does feel like a very Celtic target. It's clear the Bhoys need to sign a holding midfielder during the winter window as they look to finally sign a replacement for Arne Engels.

It would be a risk to sign a 19-year-old, but for just €5million, Celtic may feel there is more value there, and it's the sort of signing they like, given the potential to make money down the line.

Torino's Gvidas Gineitis has been linked, but his form has tailed off, and he has struggled for minutes this season.