An update has emerged on one of Celtic's transfer targets as Brendan Rodgers has missed out on a centre-back before the end of the summer transfer window.
What's the latest Celtic transfer news?
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has relayed the news central defender Lyanco has officially signed for Qatari side Al-Gharafa SC on loan from Southampton until June 2024.
This comes after Football Scotland reported that the Hoops had been eyeing a swoop to sign the 26-year-old defender to bolster their defensive options.
When asked about a possible swoop for the former Torino man last weekend, Rodgers said that the club were working on deals in the background and that he was hoping for an update over the coming days.
They have missed out on a move for the Brazilian defender but the Northern Irishman could instead land a perfect alternative by securing reported transfer target Eric Dier's signature.
How good is Eric Dier?
The £85k-per-week titan is a proven Premier League performer who could thrive in Scottish football in the same way that Cameron Carter-Vickers has.
Celtic's USMNT international joined the club from Tottenham Hotspur after failing to make the grade in north London and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, which is a feat the former AFC Bournemouth loanee repeated last season.
Carter-Vickers only made five first-team appearances for Spurs and was still able to hit the ground running as one of the best defenders in Scotland, which suggests that Dier, who has played 361 matches for Tottenham, has the ability to be a very outstanding performer at that level.
The England international could also provide more quality than Lyanco based on the pair's respective performances for their clubs over the last two seasons.
Dier averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.86 over 33 Premier League outings last term, which came after he averaged a superb rating of 7.01 over 35 top-flight games during the 2021/22 campaign.
The 29-year-old colossus, who was described as an "anchor" in a back-three by ex-Spurs defender Michael Dawson, caught the eye in and out of possession last season with a pass completion rate of 86% and an aerial duel success rate of 70%.
Lyanco, on the other hand, has not been able to perform as well as the experienced stopper as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.81 across 21 league games for Southampton throughout the 2022/23 campaign after a score of 6.61 over 15 outings during his debut year in the Premier League, which ended in relegation.
The Saints dud completed 75% of his attempted passes and only came out on top in 57% of his aerial battles last term, which suggests that Dier would offer more in and out of possession.
Tottenham's defensive pass-master could be more reliable on the ball with his ability to find teammates more frequently, whilst the England international could also be a stronger presence in the air when it comes to dealing with crosses and set-pieces.
Therefore, Dier could be a dream alternative to Lyanco, now that the Southampton man has moved elsewhere.
If Rodgers is able to strike a deal for the former Sporting CP prospect before Friday's deadline, then Celtic will certainly land themselves a hell of a signing at the back, given the evidence above.