Celtic in 'advanced talks' to complete next summer signing

20 Aug 2026 10:55 BST | 7 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Make us your Google favourite

Celtic are reportedly in “advanced talks” over a late summer deal for Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Balazs Toth.

Article continues under the video

The 28-year-old has been linked with a move to Celtic Park for several weeks and it’s understood that Martin O’Neill’s side are ready to ramp up their pursuit of his signature over the coming days.

The Daily Record have confirmed that Celtic are interested in signing Toth, amid their pursuit of a new goalkeeper to challenge current number one Vijlami Sinisalo, while Hungarian outlet Nemzeti Sport claim that a deal is close to being finalised, with “advanced talks” underway.

Current ETV

Balázs Tóth

Blackburn

Balázs Tóth

Blackburn

ETV Range

€0.6M - €0.9M

Toth played the entire 90 minutes during Blackburn’s first game of the new Championship season against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Friday, but Tony Mowbray has admitted that a sale is likely to happen before Deadline Day.

“You probably know how the layers in our football club work, and football coaches, football managers, don't need to know if one of your players is going to get sold,” the Blackburn boss told reporters when asked about Toth’s future.

“I don't know. I've had agents phoning me up at quarter to eleven last night, telling me that you need a goalie, and I'm going, ‘why do I need a goalie?’ They said, ‘because your goalie's getting sold.’

“It's a little bit frustrating that I'm getting told at quarter to eleven, the night before a game, that my goalie's getting sold. I laughed it off, but let's wait and see.”

Toth has just one year remaining on his current contract at Ewood Park and Mowbray has urged the club to finalise an exit agreement if he refuses to put pen to paper on fresh terms.

“If people aren't going to sign contracts, there's a million footballers out there, you have to cash in,” Mowbray admitted.

“I don't think it's right that you invest in footballers, you give them contracts, and then for whatever reason, they go. That's no criticism of Toth, if he doesn't want to sign a new contract. In my opinion, he's been offered a pretty substantial contract. He doesn't want to sign it, he wants to move on, you have to cash in.

“I'm not here to criticise the football club, if they get the right deal for him, in his last year, we have to go and get some. There's a million footballers out there; we'll go and find another goalkeeper.

“We've got Aynsley [Pears] of course, who's very capable. I've said to them every day, I want them all to enjoy their football career; it's very short. Football will give you some of the best moments of your life, apart from the day you get married to your beautiful wife, or you have your children.

“Scoring goals, celebrating, loving it with the fans after you win matches, that's what life's about. If the goalie wants to go and do it somewhere else, and win cups and trophies and play in the Champions League, then who am I to tell him he shouldn't do that? Good luck to him.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Blackburn Rovers (@rovers)

Who else will Celtic sign before the end of the summer transfer window?

Following the sale of Arne Engels to West Ham United for a Championship record transfer fee of €25.8m, Celtic are now in the market for another new central midfielder, despite announcing the arrival of Mika Baur from Paderborn last week.

It’s understood that Torino star Gvidas Gineitis is their top target, with Cheick Souare (Viktoria Plzen), Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split) and Ermin Mahmic (Slovan Liberec) also on the Bhoys’ radar.

Meanwhile, Celtic have also been in talks with Chelsea over a loan deal for academy left-back Landon Emenalo, although speculation has died down in recent days and it remains to be seen if a transfer will be finalised before Deadline Day.