Celtic may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of one reported January target after recent developments emerged detailing that his agent is trying to facilitate a move elsewhere for the man in question come the New Year.

Celtic latest news…

Brendan Rodgers has made an impressive impact upon returning to Celtic Park in the summer and has guided his side to claim a seven-point lead over arch-rivals Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. In the Champions League, the Hoops have fallen short so far against the likes of Feyenoord and Lazio; however, his side have competed in parts of both of their opening games in the competition and will hope to claim a major scalp when Atletico Madrid rock up in Glasgow's east end on Wednesday night.

Winning meaningful fixtures in Europe's premier competition is something that has eluded Celtic in the last decade, with their last home victory in the Champions League coming more than ten years ago against Ajax in a 2-1 victory in the 2013/14 edition of the tournament. Away from home, Celtic have fared slightly better, though you have to go back to Rodgers' first spell in Glasgow to uncover their last victory on the road in the Champions League, which came in a 3-0 triumph at Anderlecht in 2017/18.

So what is the reason for this? In truth, the financial gulf between Scottish sides and the European elite appears to have vastly widened; nevertheless, most Hoops fans will agree that their side could do with one or two established names plucked from the continent to help bolster their chances of progression.

One man who could certainly help that cause is Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who was reported last week to be a Celtic transfer target and someone viewed as an ideal successor to Joe Hart between the sticks at Parkhead.

Celtic's last five results – all competitions

Competition

Opponent and result

Venue

Scottish Premiership

Heart of Midlothian 1-4 Celtic

Tynecastle

Scottish Premiership

Celtic 3-1 Kilmarnock

Celtic Park

Champions League

Celtic 1-2 Lazio

Celtic Park

Scottish Premiership

Motherwell 1-2 Celtic

Fir Park

Scottish Premiership

Livingston 0-3 Celtic

Tony Macaroni Arena

Celtic transfer update – Andriy Lunin

According to an Andriy Lunin transfer update from a report in Spain, Celtic and Rodgers have received a boost in their pursuit of the Ukraine international after it emerged that his entourage have started to encourage the 24-year-old to secure a move away from the La Liga giants in January.

Lunin could be available on a free transfer midway through 2024 when his Real Madrid contract expires and the outlet claim that there are no signs that he will commit to a contract extension at the Santiago Bernabeu. The former Zorya Luhansk stopper is also believed to be aggrieved at his position in the pecking order under Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Labelled a "top goalkeeper" by Los Blancos manager Ancelotti, Lunin has made 19 appearances in all competitions since arriving in the Spanish capital, keeping five clean sheets in the process (Lunin statistics – Transfermarkt).

The Hoops are known to be in the market for a goalkeeper, so they could land themselves a potential bargain if Lunin were to complete a move to Parkhead.