Celtic Eyes Summer Signing of Eric Martel Following League Title Win

After Celtic clinched their fifth consecutive league title on Saturday afternoon, attention has swiftly shifted to the upcoming summer transfer window, even with one cup final still pending.

Back in March, TEAMTALK reported that Celtic was preparing to pursue a move for FC Koln defensive midfielder Eric Martel, who is also capable of playing in defense, this summer.

Recently, a promising update regarding this potential transfer has emerged. Koln’s director Thomas Kessler confirmed via Football Transfers that Martel will leave the German club on a free transfer this summer.

This past weekend, Kessler stated: “We were in regular, close contact with Eric Martel over the past weeks and months and gave him a fair and appropriate offer. On Friday, he told us that he would not accept and wants to take on a new sporting challenge.” He added, “We respect that. We thank Eric for his efforts in the past four years at 1. FC Köln and wish him all the best for the future.” The parting appears to be amicable.

This potential signing could prove to be astute. Callum McGregor, now 33, may not be able to handle starting in over 45 games across all competitions. Furthermore, Martel’s versatility would offer additional options in central defense.