Ryan Fraser to Celtic latest as ‘formal approach’ set to be made for Newcastle United star

Celtic made it six points from a possible six so far in the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season as they won their first away fixture of the new campaign 3-1 against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

In one of the other emerging stories of the weekend, the Hoops are now being linked with a move for a former Dons player before the summer transfer window shuts. Newcastle United winger Ryan Fraser is said to be a transfer target for Brendan Rodgers with the Scotland international firmly out of the first team picture at St James’ Park.

Now, a new report has come out from The Northern Echo who claim that Celtic are ‘poised to make a formal transfer approach’ for the 29-year old. Fraser is currently training with the Magpies development squad and it is claimed that the Saudi Arabian’s owned club will not demand a significant transfer fee and are ‘simply keen to remove his wages from their books and draw a line under the current situation.’

The winger still has two years remaining on his current contract at St James’ Park but has not played for the first team since 2022 and has been stripped of his squad number for the new Premier League campaign. The report goes on to claim that Brendan Rodgers is keen to add another winger to his Celtic squad before the window shuts and sees Fraser as a ‘viable target’.

Fraser began his career with hometown club Aberdeen as a teenager and made 16 appearances during the 2012/13 season before being lured down south by then League One club Bournemouth for a meager fee of £400,000. He spent eight seasons with the Cherries, which included a brief loan spell at Ipswich Town, and played an important part in their rise up the EFL and into the Premier League.

He joined Newcastle in 2020 on a free transfer but has never managed to tie down a regular starting berth during his three seasons in the north east. He won his first Scotland cap in 2017 and has made a total of 26 appearances for the national team.