Celtic are in talks to sign Tottenham goalkeeper Joe Hart, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports.
What's the latest transfer news involving Joe Hart?
Romano discloses that the Hoops have opened talks with the London club as they look to sign a new goalkeeper, and negotiations between the sides are ongoing.
Why are Celtic looking for a new goalkeeper?
The Bhoys are looking to sign a new goalkeeper as current number one Vasilis Barkas has made an unconvincing start to the season. He performed poorly in the recent Champions League first leg qualifier against Midtjylland and the pre-season friendly against West Ham.
Former Hoops striker turned pundit Chris Sutton was very critical of his performance in Europe, and he conceded three goals in 45 minutes against the Irons.
Postecoglou might not be that enamoured with the other two goalkeepers at the club, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard, either. Neither could establish themselves as Celtic's first-choice last season and Bain also conceded three goals against West Ham, while Hazard is just 23.
What is Hart's pedigree?
Hart has plenty of experience at club and international level. He earned 75 caps for England and won two Premier League titles whilst playing for Manchester City. Hart has made 548 appearances in his career, with 340 of them coming in the Premier League, so he has the pedigree to fit in at Celtic Park.
The time he spent at Manchester City was the most successful period of Hart's career. He made 348 appearances in total for City, keeping 137 clean sheets. Since leaving, however, Hart has found it difficult to hold down a regular first-team place.
He made 24 appearances for Burnley and played 23 times on loan at West Ham, and is currently the backup goalkeeper at Tottenham. Hart made 10 appearances last season.
The 6 ft 5 shot-stopper featured in the Europa League and FA Cup for the North London club, and in the main he has been the understudy to first choice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Should Celtic be concerned over Hart's lack of football?
It will likely be a bit of a concern to Celtic that Hart hasn't been playing every week. On the other hand, he has still been getting games here and there.
Hart has also been keeping himself fit, as he was on the bench as Tottenham's number two goalkeeper for the entirety of last season's Premier League campaign. It is not like he has been sitting in the stands - he has still been involved in the first-team and trusted to perform if needed.
You'd assume that Hart would be interested in playing regular football every week again at the age of 34, which is what Celtic will likely offer him.
Hart still has a year left to run on his Tottenham contract, so the Hoops will likely need to pay a fee, unless the clubs come to an agreement and he's allowed to depart on a free transfer.