Napoli goalkeeper will join Celtic on a free transfer in the summer

Napoli goalkeeper will join Celtic on a free transfer in the summer

Celtic’s search for a new goalkeeper took a significant turn a few weeks ago when Joe Hart announced his retirement at the conclusion of the season.

The treble-winning history maker will hang up his gloves, hopefully after another league victory and a Scottish Cup winner’s medal around his neck.

No one can deny Hart’s incredible success at Celtic since his £1 million signing from Spurs just under three years ago.

Despite his flaws, the veteran goalie has saved us numerous times this season, and replacing him will be incredibly difficult.

He will also be greatly missed by Celtic fans, who have grown to admire Hart over the years.

So, who can replace him? Do Celtic have any names on a list? If not, here’s one I believe could do the job and cost nothing this summer.
Alex Meret might become Celtic’s next Joe Hart.

The current Napoli goalkeeper has been in excellent form for the Italian club this season. Meret, a Serie A and Italian Cup winner, is out of contract this summer.

Napoli bought Meret from Udinese in 2018 for €25 million (£22 million). [ESPN]

However, Meret’s representative is confident of winning a one-year extension because his current contract just requires him to play 70% of Napoli’s first-team games this season for the extension to take effect.

Meret is the first name on the team sheet, therefore this does not appear to be an issue. According to TuttuMercato, Meret’s agent is reportedly negotiating a better and longer contract for him, and if he does not obtain it, he may leave the club.

Meret is now paid £49k per week by the Italian giants, so if Celtic make a move, the money saved on a transfer could be put towards the 26-year-old goalkeeper’s wages. [SalarySport]

Alex Meret’s stats and being Celtic’s No. 1

Meret has made 22 appearances for Napoli this season, keeping four clean sheets while conceding 25 goals. He has an average Fotmob rating of 6.61.

He has made 49 saves this season, placing him in the midst of the top Serie A performers with a save success rate of more than 66%. Not decent considering he faces some of Europe’s finest scorers.

Meret has faced two penalties and saved one this season, although he has one of the lowest figures for claiming high balls with four.

The 26-year-old has 81.7% passing accuracy and has tried 84 long balls with a success percentage of slightly more than 45%.

He has three caps for Italy. Meret definitely has skill and elements of his game that need to be improved, but so did Hart, who went on to succeed at Celtic.

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