Celtic have agreed a season-long loan deal for 21-year-old Manchester United defender Tyler Blackett.
The Parkhead side look likely to land the England under-21 internationalist – and will also include a clause to buy fee of £4m should a permanent move be agreeable to both parties next season.
With Virgil van Dijk look set to exit the club, Blackett will be brought in to help shore up the Celtic backline.
Blackett – voted the strongest player at the entire club by his Old Trafford team-mates last season – signed an extension to his United contract in February this year.
The player has been farmed out on loan to Blackpool and Birmingham, while Everton were also linked with a move for the 21-year-old earlier this summer.
The deal for the player is expected to be formalised this weekend.
The 21-year-old made his breakthrough in United’s first-team last season under Louis van Gaal, featuring in all of their opening five Premier League games.
Despite falling down the pecking order as the campaign progressed, Blackett has been industrious in terms of building himself up physically.
It was the Manchester United website who reported last term that the player was voted by his team-mates as the strongest player at the club and Blackett admitted that he has worked hard on his physicality in order to prepare for playing at the top level.
"I do try to give my best in the gym and I am trying to get stronger each and every day. I do work hard and I try to push myself in every way possible," he was quoted as saying.
“Being a central defender, you have to be strong and fast. You come up against all different kinds of opponents. They are big, small, fast, so you have to be ready for a mix of everything.
“It has helped me step up from youth football. You have got to try to adapt physically to each game. Once you have grown up, you are playing against physical players and you have to be ready for them.”
The 21-year-old made 11 appearances for United last season.
Meanwhile, Celtic have also tabled a £500,000 bid for Inverness Caledonian Thistle forward Ryan Christie.
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