Stephen Welsh sees Celtic transfer exit rules change as Serie A suitors get signing shot in the arm

Italian interest in Stephen Welsh is set to be ramped up after the foreign rules in Serie A have been relaxed.

The Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio has this week confirmed that players from the United Kingdom and Switzerland will no longer be required to take up non-European Union slots. Hellas Verona and Udinese have both been long-term admirers of the Celtic defender, along with other Italian top-flight sides. The issue previously was that they both had to free up non-EU berths before they could make the move.

It could now see many more Scots make the move to Italy to join the likes of Josh Doig, Lewis Ferguson and Liam Henderson. Welsh’s situation is still up in the air at Celtic - although there is expected to be Italian offers tabled. He has just returned from their pre-season tour of Japan and is waiting to see where he is in Brendan Rodgers’ plans. Celtic have just signed Maik Nawrocki from Legia Warsaw but Cameron Carter Vickers is still coming back to full-fitness and Carl Starfelt has been linked with Spartak Moscow. There have also been doubts cast over Yuki Kobayashi’s first-team future. The Japan defender has struggled in several fixtures and hobbled off against Yokohama with an ankle complaint.

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