The midfielder has been capped 49 times for Austria and is expected to terminate his contract this month
Celtic are among a number of clubs to have expressed an interest in RB Leipzig central midfielder Xaver Schlager as he prepares to terminate his contract with the Bundesliga club.
According to German sports media outlet 4-4-2, the Scottish champions are interested in 28-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to agree a new deal.
The Hoops are said to be on high alert along with Serie A giants Juventus, who are also rumoured to be keen on the player with almost 50 international caps for Austria under his belt.
It’s claimed the Parkhead club could be willing to wait until the summer to recruit Schlager.
Celtic star Arne Engels involved in potential transfer activity
But the situation has been complicated further amid reports the German side have added Celtic’s £11 million man Arne Engels and AC Milan’s Aaron Jashari - once a Celtic transfer target himself - to a shortlist of potential signing targets to replace Schlager if he doesn’t put pen to paper on a new deal before the end of the January window.
Any swoop for Engels this month is dependant on whether Leipzig can finalise a deal for main target Rocco Reitz from Borussia Monchengladbach, according to reports in Germany.
Schlager has played 13 times in the Bundesliga so far this season, scoring two goals. He has been a regular starter for his country in recent years, finding the net on four occasions in 49 caps.
He originally came through the youth ranks at Red Bull Salzburg in his homeland, starting off in reserve team after transferring from their feeder team, FC Liefering.
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A move to VfL Wolfsburg followed in the summer of 2019 before Leipzig decided to activate a release clause in his contract three years later.
Now valued at around £10.5m, Celtic have been exploring a deal for Schlager but much will depend on a decision over his future, which would have implications for Reitz and Engels too.
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