He wants to join: Celtic now advancing to sign

Celtic are now advancing to sign Hajduk Split midfielder Niko Sigur, and a bargain deal could be on the cards.

Martin O’Neill has made it clear the Hoops are in the process of searching for an Arne Engels replacement, following the midfielder’s move to West Ham United, saying: “If I was looking at it from a distance, ideally it’d be great [to have kept him], and really, I suppose, Arne, from January, surely then his stats and all that type of stuff would become relevant therefore he would have been high on someone’s [list].

“I’m not saying you’re hoping it’ll lie down, and in fairness to us, we’ve actually actively been looking at replacements for him, they just haven’t materialised at this minute. Sometimes that happens.”

Sigur is one of the central midfielders being pursued, with the 22-year-old establishing himself as a vital player for Hajduk Split over the past three seasons, making 29 appearances in the league last season, during which time he picked up one goal and three assists.

However, the Canadian is particularly adept from a defensive point of view, averaging 2.8 tackles per 90 in the Croatian top tier. In comparison, Engels averaged just 1.3 tackles per 90 in the Scottish Premiership, with none of O’Neill’s players averaging over 2.1.

Courtesy of his performances in Croatia, the Hajduk Split star was selected in Canada’s World Cup squad, and he earned high praise from Jesse March for his display in the 3-0 round of 16 defeat against Morocco.

The Canada manager said: “I felt Sigur was exceptional, perhaps our best player on the pitch. The distance he covered, the decisions he made on the ball, the number of times he won possession in midfield, his vision in reading and creating plays, the ground he covered, the duels he won—he was outstanding in every aspect.”

Celtic aiming to sign Niko Sigur in bargain deal

According to a report from Football Insider, a bargain deal for Sigur could be on the cards, with Celtic hopeful about securing his signature for under £4m.

The Hoops are now advancing to sign the Canada international, who has less than two years remaining on his Hajduk Split contract, which explains why a deal for a low fee could be possible.

The defensive midfielder is keen on a move to Parkhead, where he could replace Engels, who completed an EFL record £22m transfer to the London Stadium last week.

However, Sigur may not be a like-for-like heir for the Belgian, considering he very rarely scores, whereas Engels is more attack-minded, picking up 17 goals and 22 assists in 100 matches during his stint with the 56-time Scottish champions.