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Celtic ‘optimistic’ of beating Man Utd to sign Irish striking sensation
Robin Bairner
- 26 Nov 2025 07:04 CST
- 2 min read
News
Celtic are said to be “leading” the race to sign striker Michael Noonan, the Shamrock Rovers striker who has been making headlines thanks to his prolific scoring exploits.
With the Hoops’ board under fire after a slow summer transfer window, Celtic have been tipped to support incoming manager Wilfried Nancy with new arrivals in January.
The Parkhead side are leading the race to sign Noonan, despite interest from Man Utd and reports in 2024 that he was close to signing a pre-contract agreement with Manchester City, The Irish Sun reports.
Current ETV
Michael Noonan
F (C)
Shamrock Rovers
Michael Noonan
F (C)
Shamrock Rovers
ETV Range
€0.5M - €0.8M
Noonan has experienced a breakthrough campaign at Tallaght Stadium, where he joined Shamrock Rovers after leaving his amateur terms at St Pat’s in the search for first-team football.
Aged only 17, he has set a string of records, notably becoming the youngest scorer in Conference League history when he netted the winner against Molde. It is one of nine goals he has scored for Rovers. He also shone at the recent FIFA U17 World Cup.
While no transfer fee has been stated, Celtic are said to be “optimistic” of winning the race for the striker’s signature.
Michael Noonan: One for the future at Celtic Park
While Celtic are unable to register Noonan until 31 July, when he turns 18, they do have the option to sign him in January and loan him back to Shamrock Rovers.
Dermot Desmond, who is the Hoops’ largest shareholder, also has a 25% stake in the League of Ireland club, opening up the possibility of this agreement.
Johnny Kenny followed a similar route, playing two seasons with Shamrock Rovers before moving to Scotland, The Irish Sun points out.
Any move for Noonan would be with a view to a similar long-term impact at Celtic Park.
Such a deal for the teenage Irishman would likely come independent of how Nancy’s squad is reinforced in January, with Wessam Abou Ali of Columbus Crew having been earmarked for a switch to Glasgow.
