Celtic near £6m deal to sign Bobby Clark from Salzburg

Celtic are close to signing 20 year old midfielder Bobby Clark from Red Bull Salzburg for a fee reported to be about 6 million pounds, with the move expected to be completed when the January transfer window opens. Clark is currently on loan at Derby County in the English Championship and has made around ten appearances for the Rams this season, but has expressed a desire to return to the United Kingdom on a permanent basis.

The anticipated transfer follows Clark's move to Salzburg last year for a fee of about 10 million after he left Liverpool. He signed a long-term contract in Austria but started only intermittently and returned to Britain on loan to seek regular first-team football. Sources close to the deal say Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has identified Clark as a player who can add creativity and technical quality to midfield as the club pursues a fifth consecutive Scottish Premiership title and continues in European competition in the Europa League.

Clark came through youth setups at Newcastle United before joining Liverpool in 2021. He made his senior debut for Liverpool as a 17 year old and went on to make more than a dozen senior appearances for the club, including a...