Celtic could make loan move for Spartak keeper Stipe Pletikosa

[Celticrugby]

Celtic could make loan move for Spartak keeper Stipe Pletikosa

Jul 29 2010

Mark Guidi

CELTIC are considering a move to sign Spartak Moscow keeper Stipe Pletikosa on a season-long loan deal.

Record Sport can reveal Hoops gaffer Neil Lennon rates the giant stopper and sees him as having the experience and mentality to replace Artur Boruc.

With a potential deal for David James looking unlikely Celtic have made behind-the-scenes enquiries over the 31-year-old Croatia keeper - who stands at 6ft 4in.

Pletikosa is available for this campaign and there is no loan fee involved. Celtic would only have to pay £15,000 a week in wages.

Pletikosa - who played against Celtic for Spartak and previous club Shakhtar Donetsk - has an offer to join Spurs as understudy to Heurelho Gomes.

West Ham are also interested but Parkhead is understood to be Pletikosa's preferred destination.

His agent Marko Najetilic said: "Stipe has a definite offer from Tottenham. However he knows all about Celtic and that would be something of real interest to him.

"But there has been no official offer made by Celtic to me.

"We hope to have agreed his next move within the next 72 hours. It could be an interesting couple of days."

Celts took summer transfer sales through the £4million barrier with a £420,000 fee from Swindon for Paul Caddis and Simon Ferry.

[Obri]

This would be an excellent move for us, even on a year's loan deal. A worthy successor to Boruc's number one jersey.

[Celticrugby]

**** a loan deal, buy him outright. He's already stated in the past he likes the club and would want to play here.

[Obri]

Originally Posted by Celticrugby

**** a loan deal, buy him outright. He's already stated in the past he likes the club and would want to play here.

Naturally a permanent deal would be better, but I don't imagine that'll happen unless, or until, Aiden McGeady is sold.

[CelticBhoy]

I'm honestly not sure of Zaluska, thought he'd do ok, but I think we are going to miss Boruc

[Ugh]

Zaluska is a good goalkeeper but slightly out of his depth at the top level, I believe.

Pletikosa isn't world class but still a cut above IMO.

[Celticrugby]

Depends on your definition of world class. If world class is 5 players, then no. If world class is good at the international level, then he is.

Rather have him than Timo, and that's without my Croatian bias. Either one would be better than Zaluska, who I think is just a decent #2 at a big club.

[Tartan_Terror]

Originally Posted by CelticBhoy

I'm honestly not sure of Zaluska, thought he'd do ok, but I think we are going to miss Boruc

Same train of thought. Initially I thought he'd come in and make the jersey his own but after the performances I've seen so far I am really beginning to worry about our GK situation.

In saying that, early days!