Celtic have offered Kyle Joseph a long-term deal ahead of the expiry of his Wigan Athletic contract, according to Football Insider.

The report claimed that the Hoops have submitted a formal offer to the 19-year-old striker in a bid to stave off growing competition from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, who are understood to be waiting on a character assessment before they step-up their interest.

The deal would apparently involve a £300,000 compensation payment to Wigan, who sit second from bottom in League One.

Who is Celtic target Kyle Joseph?

Joseph graduated from the Latics' under-18s to the under-23s last season and this term he has made his first team breakthrough (via Transfermarkt). He has been handed 14 appearances in League One, 12 of which were starts, and scored five goals. Most notably, he netted a hat-trick in a 4-3 away win at Burton Albion just before the turn of the year.

According to WhoScored, Joseph's predominant strengths lie in his dribbling and his finishing. However, he is currently out of action after injuring his back.

Transfer Tavern verdict

This could be another shrewd move from Celtic after they captured 19-year-old Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Liam Shaw on a pre-contract agreement in February (via Yorkshire Live) - a move with echoes of the potential deal for Joseph on a similar arrangement and at a similar age.

Deals like this enable the Hoops to build for the future with minimal expense, and it is always a good sign when there are high-profile competitors for a deal - once they can be seen off, of course.

If Spurs to make an offer of their own, it may come down to who can provide Joseph with the clearer and more exciting vision of his future.

In other news, this ex-Celtic player has taken aim at the club's board.