Report: Celtic battling Premier League trio Chelsea, Southampton and Watford for Nathan Gassama

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Celtic are reportedly battling three English Premier League sides for a promising young defender. According to the French edition of Goal, Celtic are one of several clubs interested in Nantes defender Nathan Gassama.

Nantes have Gassama tied down to a trainee contract until summer 2021. But that has not stopped a host of clubs across Europe taking an interest in his services.

Celtic face a battle with several clubs for Gassama. And Premier League heavyweights Chelsea are one of the teams monitoring Gassama’s progress.

The Blues qualified for the Champions League and are currently under a transfer ban. Nevertheless, they hold an interest in the Nantes teenager.

Alongside Chelsea and Celtic, Southampton have been watching Gassama. And the 18-year-old is on the radar of a handful of Italian clubs too.

But Watford lead the race for the left-footed central defender. The Hornets have stolen a march on their rivals by contacting Nantes over this deal.

If Celtic want to win this race, they will need to act quickly. It looks like it will only be a matter of time before Gassama leaves Nantes with so many clubs after his signature.

TBR’s view

Gassama is yet to make his Nantes debut he is a highly regarded young player. With several clubs – including Chelsea – lurking, it is clear he has a lot of talent.

Celtic need new centre-backs after Dedryck Boyata joined Hertha Berlin and Filip Benkovic’s loan expired. But Gassama would probably be one for the future rather than an immediate fix.

The towering centre-back stands at over 6ft 2in tall, meaning he could provide Celtic with a physical option for the future. He is also left-footed, which is a desirable trait.