Celtic transfer latest as Hoops turn down bid with £3.5 million option from French club for player

Stephen Welsh will not be leaving Celtic anytime soon after a bid for his services from Ligue 1 club Toulouse was turned down by the Hoops.

A former Scotland U21s international, the centre-back was subject to interest from Udinese earlier this year but that was also rebuffed. Now the Scottish Daily Express claim that a season-loan deal with the option of turning the deal permanent for £3.5 million has been turned down from Celtic. It means the Toulouse interest is likely to fall flat and Welsh will form part of Ange Postecoglou's squad for the upcoming Premiership season.

It kicks off for them at Parkhead to Aberdeen on flag day this Sunday, and the Australian manager said: “Going in as champions isn’t really something that’s in the consciousness. It’s more that we’re in a different space in terms of where we’re at as a club and a squad.

“If you wind the clock back 12 months ago, it was pretty chaotic. We were going into games with players in quarantine, and others flying in, so pre-season was pretty frantic, with Champions League qualifiers also.

"This is a different feel this year. The fact that we’re champions isn’t the biggest feeling, it’s just that we’re more settled and going into the first game there’s a different outlook

“We’ve been able to meticulously plan pre-season, meaning that every session and game has had certain conditions around it without having competitive fixtures as a backdrop, which gives you certainty about what you do."