Celtic could secure Charlton talent Alfie Doughty for a knockdown price in January after a hamstring injury that will keep him out for up to four months.
The 20-year-old midfielder was a target in the summer, and is in the final year of his contract.
That means Celtic could take him north of the border for only a development fee come next summer but there may be an opportunity to get him for a bargain price in January.
Doughty suffered a hamstring tear that will keep him out for up to four months in October's 2-0 win over Oxford, so won't play before the window opens, and may have featured in his last game for the Addicks.
Manager Lee Bowyer confirmed: "It doesn’t look good at all. I’m not going to go into too much detail but from what I understand, he’s going to be out for a while.
“I don’t know how long but it’s not good. Obviously, he was running flat out in the game on the weekend and someone nudged him in the back.
“It’s quite similar to that Stephy Mavididi. Do you remember when Stephy was here and the fella gave him a nudge from behind?
“He ended up doing his hamstring then. It’s quite similar to that, he was in his full stride and the fella has nudged him. His body tried to adjust and that’s how he’s done it.”
Doughty is not expected to play before January, and he'll be free to sign a pre-contract at Celtic Park from January 1.
It's therefore possible that Celtic will look to get a deal over the line immediately, using a pre-contract agreement and the injury to secure a discount.
Doughty can play in a number of positions, including on the left wing, and Neil Lennon 's squad is short on natural wingers.
