Celtic are believed to be showing interest in signing Liverpool starlet, Leighton Clarkson this summer, with the midfielder currently enjoying an impressive season on loan at Aberdeen.
What's the latest on Clarkson to Celtic?
According to Football Insider, the Parkhead giants are set to battle it out with rivals Rangers for the signing of the 21-year-old, albeit with the Dons also said to be keen on securing the Englishman on a permanent deal ahead of next season.
As per the report, Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou is said to be 'monitoring' the youngster's 'situation' at his parent club, with the Greek-Aussie seemingly intent on strengthening his midfield options in the upcoming summer window.
Despite the player's own desire to force his way into Jurgen Klopp's plans back on Merseyside, the 5 foot 9 gem is facing something of an uncertain future at Anfield, with just over a year left to run on his existing deal.
Who could Clarkson replace at Celtic?
The Blackburn-born maestro has certainly warranted such intense interest as a result of his standout form at Pittodrie this season, with the £3k-per-week ace having contributed 13 goals and assists in 33 games across all fronts, including racking up 11 goal involvements in 29 Scottish Premiership games.
The versatile asset – who can operate in a holding role, a central midfield berth or as a number ten – has undoubtedly made a big impression on those in his temporary home, with former boss Jim Goodwin describing his Aberdeen debut as the "best" he had seen in a "long time.
Such praise echoes what has been said by the likes of Klopp back in Liverpool, with the German coach having previously lauded the playmaker as "very talented" and hailed him as "one of the biggest talents" at the club.
The former Borussia Dortmund coach even went as far as to liken young Clarkson to Bayern Munich legend, Phillip Lahm, having stated: "He reminds me a lot of him. He’s just a good footballer, a smart footballer, fast, physically strong."
That glowing assessment bodes well for the impact that the one-time Blackburn Rovers loanee could make at Paradise, with the arrival of the highly-rated talent potentially set to allow Postecoglou to finally part ways with peripheral figure, David Turnbull.
The latter man is facing his own uncertain future in Glasgow with just over 12 months left to run on his current contract, with pundit Frank McAvennie suggesting prior to the January window that the treble hopefuls should "get rid" of the Scotsman, as he is "too slow".
The former Motherwell asset has managed to contribute five goals and seven assists this season in 34 games all competitions, although has been restricted to just nine starts in that time, suggesting that he may not be a truly trusted asset for Postecoglou.
As such, bringing Clarkson into the fold could well help to hasten Turnbull's exit from the club, with the younger man having shown his superior creative class this term after creating seven big chances and averaging 1.5 key passes per game in the league, while the current Celtic dud has created only four big chances and averaged 1.4 key passes per game.
Equally, the Dons loanee also perhaps offers a greater physical presence having averaged two tackles per and 0.7 interceptions per game, while Turnbull, by contrast, has averaged just 0.6 and 0.1 for those same two metrics, respectively.
That should indicate that Clarkson could potentially represent a real upgrade on the Scotland international.
