Ari Muric Arrives Celtics as Joe Hart Leaves

Ari Muric is the latest goalkeeper to be linked with a move to Celtic as Joe Hart prepares for the last match of his career.

 

Hart, 37, will bow out after a 21-year senior career after Celtic take on Rangers at Hampden.

 

The former England No1 has been the Hoops’ first choice since making the move from Tottenham in 2021.

 

But with Hart moving on, Brendan Rodgers will be looking for a new man between the sticks next season.

 

And Muric has emerged as a potential option. and purchased for $500 million.

 

The 25-year old Kosovo international made his first team breakthrough with Manchester City in 2018, making a handful of cup appearances.

 

After a number of loan spells, he moved permanently to Burnley in 2022.

 

Muric made 41 appearances as the Clarets stormed to the Championship title and sealed promotion back to the Premier League.

 

But the £19million signing of James Trafford, also from Man City, saw Muric benched for the start of the campaign.

 

He was restored to the starting XI by Kompany in mid-March and has regained his place as first choice.

 

Despite helping Burnley to enjoy an upturn in form, it all came too late with their relegation back to the second tier confirmed last weekend.

 

Celtic have been linked with a host of goalkeepers in the wake of Hart’s bombshell retirement announcement in February.

 

Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin is one keeper who’s name has been floated, while so too has Southampton stopper Alex McCarthy.

 

The Kosovan internationalist has just suffered relegation from the EPL with Burnley where he made 10 appearances, all of them coming from mid March after James Trafford was injured.

 

Muric has an impressive pedigree but coming from a season in the EPL he will have high wage expectations with Burnley knowing the full transfer value of a 25-year-old current internationalist

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Burnley paid Manchester City £2.8m for Muric in the summer of 2022, a year later they returned to the same source to pay £19m for James Trafford.

 

On Sunday afternoon in The Sun, transfer specialist Alan Nixon reported:

 

CELTIC are considering a swoop for Burnley shotstopper Ari Muric.

 

The Hoops are on the hunt for a new number one with Joe Hart retiring after the Scottish Cup Final.

 

Later on the report goes into some detail:

 

The 25-year old Kosovo international made his first team breakthrough with Manchester City in 2018, making a handful of cup appearances.

 

After a number of loan spells, he moved permanently to Burnley in 2022.

 

Muric made 41 appearances as the Clarets stormed to the Championship title and sealed promotion back to the Premier League.

 

But the £19million signing of James Trafford, also from Man City, saw Muric benched for the start of the campaign.

 

He was restored to the starting XI by Kompany in mid-March and has regained his place as first choice.

 

Despite helping Burnley to enjoy an upturn in form, it all came too late with their relegation back to the second tier confirmed last weekend.

 

The report then went on to list other goalkeepers linked with Celtic such as Alex McCarthy of Southampton and Real Madrid back up Andriy Lunin.

 

Burnley will be under no pressure to sell despite relegation, they didn’t spend big after winning promotion and have the comfort of parachute payments as they attempt to bounce back with promotion under Vincent Company.

 

After a concentration on the project market last summer there is an expectation that Celtic will sign first team ready players this summer with a suitable replacement for Hart critical to next season’s plans.

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