Celtic have been well off the pace so far this season.

Neil Lennon's side are currently a mammoth 16 points behind fierce rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, although they could cut that deficit should they win their three games in hand.

It's an extremely important January transfer window for The Bhoys.

Lennon will be looking to add to his side so they can claw back Rangers' lead.

But they could be about to lose one of their most influential players.

That's because Ryan Christie is reportedly drawing interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League.

90min.com report that the 25-year-old is wanted by various English clubs, including Leicester, Newcastle, Southampton, Brighton and Burnley.

And now Arsenal have reportedly entered the race.

It's no secret that Mikel Arteta and Arsenal want a midfielder.

They have been linked with the likes of Isco, Houssem Aouar and Dominik Szoboszlai in the last few months.

But Christie would represent a cheaper option and Arteta is said to be considering an approach.

A move for Christie would be the second time Arsenal have raided Celtic in the past few years.

The Gunners sealed a £25 million fee for Kieran Tierney back in August 2019.

The move has been successful thus far, with the left-back quickly becoming a fan favourite in north London.

GIVEMESPORT'S JAMES STROUD SAYS:

Losing Christie, who has been capped 14 times by Scotland, would be a blow for Celtic.

Yes, he hasn't quite been able to match last season in terms of goals scored.

In 2019/20, Christie scored 19 times in 43 games, while he only has six goals in 29 games so far this campaign.

However, despite that drop off, Celtic can't really afford to let him leave.

He will be vital if they are to win their 10th straight Scottish Premiership title.

But every player has a price. If Celtic are offered a sum they can't refuse, then he could well be on the move this month.