Newcastle United's interest in Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer has been one of the longer-running transfer sagas of 2021.
The Norwegian defender could be set to leave Glasgow for a new challenge this summer, and with just one year remaining on his contract, Celtic might be tempted to cash in now.
A fee of around £6-8million has been mooted, with Newcastle having watched Ajer last season.
READ MORE: Kristoffer Ajer to Newcastle United: £8m deal latest
They would face competition for his signature, of course, with Bayer Leverkusen also credited with interest, but United appear to be near the front of the queue should he decide to move on.
Primarily a central defender, Ajer has the added bonus of being able to play at right-back, or as a right wing-back and has won plenty of praise for his performances in Scotland.
Speaking in 2019, then manager of Celtic Neil Lennon had high praise for the defender and his versatility.
“I wouldn’t like to make comparisons with Van Dijk because he’s the best defender in the world,” Lennon said..
“If Kris wants to aspire towards that then brilliant. He is playing so consistently and I don’t think he’s missed a minute of any league game for me.
“It’s not ideal asking him to play at right-back because we’ve had to change the back four. But it shows his quality. He doesn’t just fill in and get by, he’s outstanding.”
It was praise echoed by former Rangers star Neil McCann after watching Ajer star for Celtic in a 3-1 win over Hearts last season.
McCann may be a favourite at Ibrox, having scored 25 goals in a five-year spell at Rangers, but he was quick to hail Ajer's performance, comparing him to Brazilian legend Cafu.
“Kristoffer Ajer is looking like Cafu here," he said while covering the game for BBC. "He is bombing up and down the right flank and has the freedom of Celtic Park.”
Whether Ajer moves to Newcastle remains to be seen, but the 23-year-old has built up an excellent pedigree so far.
