Tawanda Maswanhise is a name increasingly on the lips of Celtic supporters.
Since Martin O’Neill and Mark Fotheringham were spotted at Fir Park to watch Motherwell take on Dundee, the forward has been viewed as a potential Celtic target.
Despite that speculation, sources close to Maswanhise have played down any approach from Celtic. Still, the attacker is becoming harder to overlook as his prolific run in front of goal goes on.
Across all competitions for club and country, Maswanhise has now found the net in six straight matches. He grabbed a brace in the Steelmen’s 2-0 victory away to Livingston on Saturday.
Those strikes moved him ahead of Benjamin Nygren in the Scottish Premiership scoring charts. Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou spoke about Maswanhise after the match.
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou on Celtic target Tawanda Maswanhise
Last week, Askou appeared to send a firm message to Celtic about his standout forward, insisting he was not for sale.
However, he was eager to clear up that position, explaining that Maswanhise is available — but only under certain conditions.
Speaking after the game at Almondvale, Askou was asked whether the player’s red-hot form could open the door to a departure, amid reported interest from Blackburn.
He said: “No. JT’s (Maswanhise) goals are going to add value to him, the team and the club.
“We have a game on Wednesday (against Dundee) and the business we plan to do doesn’t really involve him.
“I never said he wasn’t for sale, but I said we don’t have a plan to sell him now. That’s the plan we are following.
“Eventually, he is for sale, it’s just not now. He is adding value and he would love to be the Premiership’s top scorer.
“The best opportunity for him to do that is by staying with us until the summer, and then we will see what happens then.”
Blackburn were said to be weighing up a bid of around £1.5 million, but it is believed Motherwell would be holding out for a far higher figure.
Other SPFL players linked with Celtic in January
Celtic made an enquiry about Kieron Bowie early in January as part of a striker search that continued until the 20th of the month.
Bowie has since sealed a move to Hellas Verona, reportedly worth up to £7 million, adding to the growing list of Scottish players heading to Serie A.
Celtic have also been connected with Josh Mulligan, Bowie’s former teammate at Hibs. Interest in the 23-year-old is strong, with Premier League clubs also tracking him.
Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson is another SPFL player who has been linked with potential interest from Celtic and clubs in Italy.