Celtic Close In On £8m Tottenham Wonderkid Alfie Devine Deal

Celtic are on the verge of pulling off one of the most exciting signings of the Scottish summer after moving to the front of the queue for Tottenham youngster Alfie Devine, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

SportsBoom understands a series of positive talks have left the Scottish Premiership champions on the brink of agreeing a deal for the gifted 21-year-old, who is eager to make the move to Celtic Park in search of regular first team football.

A fee in the region of £6 million to £8 million has been discussed, with both clubs now confident an agreement can be finalised as Martin O'Neill, who has signed a one-year contract to stay in charge at the club, looks to add another exciting young talent to his title-winning squad.

Devine is understood to be attracted by the opportunity to become a key figure at Celtic after finding his route into Tottenham's first team blocked despite spending six years with the North London club.

Spurs are willing to let the midfielder leave permanently as they reshape their squad following last season's hugely disappointing campaign, when they came dangerously close to relegation from the Premier League. 

INVESTMENT

The club have already spent heavily this summer with the arrivals of midfielder Mateus Fernandes from relegated West Ham, who was heavily linked with a switch to Manchester United, and Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke. 

Devine knows he is very unlikely to force his way into the first team.

The midfielder began his football journey in Liverpool's academy before spells with Wigan Athletic saw Tottenham swoop to sign him in 2020 as one of the brightest young prospects in English football.

Although he has yet to make a Premier League appearance for Spurs, Devine has built an impressive body of experience through a string of successful loan moves.

He has represented Port Vale in League One, Plymouth Argyle in the Championship, Belgian side Westerlo in the Pro League and Preston North End, where he enjoyed his best campaign to date last term.

CAREER STEP

The former England Under-20 international scored eight goals in 45 Championship appearances for the Lilywhites last season, producing a string of eye-catching displays that convinced Celtic he is ready to take the next step in his career.

His time at Westerlo and across the English Football League has accelerated his development, while his technical ability and intelligence on the ball have long marked him out as one of the country's standout young midfielders.

Devine also enhanced his growing reputation by helping England win the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2022, attracting interest from a number of clubs in England and overseas.

But Celtic now look set to win the race for his signature, with the promise of regular football and the chance to play in Europe proving decisive as the Hoops close in on another eye-catching addition ahead of the new campaign.