Kasper Hogh closing in on Celtic move
Kasper Hogh is set to complete a club record transfer to Scottish champions Celtic, following months of speculation linking him with Norwich City. The Danish international, currently playing for Bodo/Glimt, is due to undergo a medical in Scotland as part of the deal reportedly worth £11 million.
Former Canaries boss Martin O’Neill, who recently signed a one-year extension at Celtic after winning the Scottish Premiership, confirmed the medical is scheduled within 24 hours. Speaking to the BBC, O’Neill said, “Yes, apparently so. He will have one in the next 24 hours, I think. I’m hoping that that will happen. I think there’s a good chance of it.”
Norwich’s near miss with Hogh in January
Norwich City made a £7 million bid for Hogh in the January transfer window and came close to securing the striker. The deal was reportedly near completion before Bodo/Glimt’s unexpected Champions League success halted any chance of a move to Carrow Road.
Hogh was keen on joining Norwich and personal terms were not an issue. However, Bodo’s progression to a Champions League play-off against Inter Milan made it impossible for them to sell their key player. City’s head coach Philippe Clement reflected on the near signing earlier this year, telling The Pink'un, “As a club, everybody aligned around that, and we were really, really close in signing a striker who wanted to come, but the situation changed, because his team was winning games that they were not expected to win, and the situation changed.”
He added, “The player really wanted to come because we had a lot of talks. He believed a lot in the story. He saw that he was playing, he saw how he could suit the team, the club and the ambition that the club have.”
Norwich’s current striker options and transfer stance
Following the collapse of the Hogh deal, Norwich signed Mo Toure from Danish side Randers. The Australian forward has impressed with nine Championship goals in 11 matches, solidifying his place in the squad.
Norwich are not actively seeking a striker this summer. The club’s striking options now include Jovon Makama and Mathias Kvistgaarden, with Philippe Clement confident they can provide the goals needed to push for Championship promotion.