Celtic linked with transfer swoop for Stoke City key man
Million Manhoef is reportedly a summer transfer target for Celtic.
The 23-year-old right winger is apparently being looked at by Brandan Rodgers as a potential squad signing, according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon. He joined Stoke from Vitesse Arnhem in January 2024 for about £3 million and is under contract until 2027.
It remains to be seen if Stoke will be tempted to cash in on one of their key assets to help fund a rebuild ahead of next season.
Manhoef showed his goal scoring ability at the end of last season and had found the net five times by early November in his first full season in England, including a Carabao Cup double at Middlesbrough and vital strikes against Plymouth, Norwich and Blackburn.
But he was laid low by a knee injury over the winter and was sorely missed as Stoke slipped deeper into a relegation fight. His return has helped new manager Mark Robins open up a five-point gap between the Potters and the drop zone with four matches remaining and he starred particularly in a 3-1 home win over Queens Park Rangers.
It will be a busy summer for Manhoef, having helped Netherlands qualify for the under-21s European Championships, which will be held in Slovakia in June.
He believes that life in the Championship is making him a better player.
He told StokeonTrentLive recently: “It goes up and down. It’s a crazy league. You can have a run and in two weeks you can be around the play-offs or you can be down at the bottom. Anybody can beat anybody. It’s very up and down and that’s also why it’s so nice. Every game is a good game.
“It’s also a physical division and I’ve been stronger and fitter. Those are the things I really love in England. I am a physical player and in Holland I was probably one of the fastest and the strongest but now, here, everyone is fast and strong so you have to do other things.
“I think my game will improve while I’m here and that’s what I’m trying to do every day.”
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