AEK Athens have upped the ante in their bid to sign Celtic’s Olivier Ntcham.
The French midfielder is looking to seal his exit from Parkhead after Marseille opted not to make a permanent move.
Ntcham had been on-loan at Stade Velodrome and the Ligue 1 side had an option to buy, but they have since moved away from that deal.
The player’s agents are now looking at various options, including in Greece and Turkey.
There was also a mention of an interest from Turkish Super Lig side Sivasspor but AEK looks more likely.
Greece and Turkey are also the most likely markets where Ntcham could maximise his earning capacity.
Ntcham still has another year left on his Celtic contract.
Sources close to the deal claim, however, it hinges on whether or not the club will trigger the extension.
The belief is that Celtic could yet waive that to get one of their bigger earners off the wage bill and to free up valuable wages for incoming boss Ange Postecoglou, who is expected to arrive in Scotland by the end of the week.
The Australian coach is expected to complete his move from Yokohama F. Marinos in the coming days.
Celtic signed Ntcham from Manchester City for £4.5 million in 2017.
A string of clubs including Bayer Leverkusen, Norwich City and Newcastle are amongst those interested in Parkhead defender Kris Ajer.
