Brighton have tabled a bid of €25m (£21.4m) for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard and talks are ongoing between the clubs, SportItalia journalist Rudy Galetti reports.
What's the latest transfer news involving Odsonne Edouard?
According to Galetti, Brighton have made an offer for Hoops star Edouard, who has entered the final year of his contract, with the two clubs currently engaged in talks.
Galetti discloses that the offer submitted by the Premier League side could be accepted by Celtic, but the situation is 'evolving' - meaning that as yet there has been no agreement reached.
Would it be a coup for Celtic to get £21.4m for Edouard?
If Celtic do get over £21m then the club deserves a huge amount of credit. The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and it would be a coup to get that type of money for a player who will be free to talk to other clubs in January.
The Hoops have already dealt well with a situation similar to Edouard's this summer. Kristoffer Ajer's contract was due to expire at the end of the season, but Celtic still managed to sell the Norwegian for £13.5m to Brentford earlier this week.
Potentially getting over £30m in transfer fees for players who could have left on a free transfer at the end of the season is very good business.
Who could Celtic sign with a £21.4m windfall?
If Edouard does leave Celtic, manager Ange Postecoglou will likely be looking to reinvest that money in his team.
The Hoops have made some serious moves in the transfer window already, bringing the likes of Liel Abada, Carl Starfelt and Kyogo Furuhashi to the club. But there is still business to be done.
As Transfermarkt shows, the Hoops are lacking in the right-back and centre-back areas, with only two largely unproven right-backs and three fit centre-backs in the squad currently. There is also the need to replace Edouard.
Celtic have been linked with players who could help solve the problem positions, with the Daily Record reporting that the club are keen on signing Sheffield United right-back George Baldock and Manchester City centre-back Ko Itakura.
The report discloses that it will take 'some financial muscle' to sign Baldock. That would presumably be less of an issue if the Hoops get over £20m for Edouard.
Would Celtic struggle without Edouard?
The striker would be a big miss for the club. He has scored 83 goals in 169 games for Celtic, which is an admirable record. Even last season, which was a major failure for the Bhoys as they finished 25 points short of champions Rangers, Edouard pitched in with 22 goals.
Postecoglou will hopefully have a striker lined up who can replace the Frenchman in the Hoops squad.
But with his current contract situation in mind, it does makes sense to sell Edouard now - even though it won't be easy to fill his void.