Celtic’s swoop for Royal Antwerp right-back Aurelio Buta is looking less likely, according to The Daily Mail’s Stephen McGowan.

The Lowdown: Buta reports

Celtic appeared to be closing in on Buta last week, with reports suggesting the Hoops agreed on a £3m deal. A story last Tuesday expected a move to go through in a matter of hours, but as we know, Buta hasn’t put pen to paper on a Celtic contract.

Turkish big guns Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have since shown an interest in Buta, which could spark a bidding war for the 24-year-old.

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The Latest: McGowan’s claim

McGowan shared a Celtic-related story on Sunday evening, revealing the Hoops’ interest in free agent James McCarthy.

Within his report, McGowan claimed that Celtic want a goalkeeper, right-back, central midfielder and a winger, before admitting that a deal for Buta ‘looks less likely’ – a damning three-word update from the journalist.

The Verdict: Time to move on?

It appears as if now could be the time for Celtic to move on to alternative targets.

If a move to Scotland is going to materialise, you’d think it would have gone through by now, especially following the reports last week.

The likes of George Baldock and Josip Juranovic are two more right-backs with whom Celtic have been linked in recent weeks, so perhaps now is the time to swoop for one of those instead of Buta, which increasingly appears to be a dead-end pursuit.

In other news: Celtic ace departs Parkhead, find out more here.