Celtic want to sign Croatian forward loved by Robbie Keane, £2.5m bid lined up

Celtic are reportedly lining up a £2.5m bid for NK Celje striker Franko Kovacevic, the Croatian forward praised by Robbie Keane, to bolster manager Martin O’Neill’s squad during the January transfer window.[3][1]

O’Neill has made a new striker his top priority amid Celtic’s goal-scoring struggles. Current forwards like Johnny Kenny, Shin Yamada, and Daizen Maeda have underperformed, while injuries to Kelechi Iheanacho and Callum Osmand have depleted options. Efforts to re-sign Kyogo Furuhashi from Birmingham City have stalled, and links to Hibs’ Kieron Bowie face competition.[3][2][5]

Impressive Form of Target

The 26-year-old Kovacevic has exploded this season, netting 25 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions for Slovenian side NK Celje. This includes notable hauls in European action: five in the UEFA Conference League group stage, three in qualifiers, and four in Europa League qualifiers. His form in Slovenia’s Prva Liga has drawn scouts from across Europe.[1][2][3]

Celtic have made initial contact with NK Celje to discuss terms, per journalist Mark Hendry, though the club values him at around £2.5m and is reluctant to sell. Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros have tabled a £2.6m offer and are leading the race, with Ujpest and Levski Sofia also interested. Kovacevic, a former Croatia youth international, has yet to earn a senior cap.[1][3]

Broader Striker Hunt

Celtic’s search isn’t limited to Kovacevic. Other targets include David Datro Fofana (Chelsea), Mohamed Bamba (Lorient), and Andrej Ilic (Union Berlin)—though reports on Ilic have been downplayed, with no contact confirmed. So far, only Julian Araujo has arrived on loan, and O’Neill believes further signings are “relatively close” despite Jota’s likely season-long absence.[2][4][5]

With Celtic third in the Scottish Premiership, fans hope a prolific addition like Kovacevic can ignite their title push before the window closes.[5]