What is going on with impressive Celtic signing target Dominik Livakovic?

Ten days after being linked with Celtic then presumed to be a Fenerbahce signing, Dominik Livakovic remains on the pay roll of Dinamo Zagreb.

At the age of 28 with an outstanding World Cup campaign for Croatia still fresh in the memory it seemed certain that the goalkeeper would be moving on. As a bonus his Dinamo contract expires in May 2024 making now prime time for a sale.

With the Croatian squad scattered across Europe’s best leagues it seemed something on an anomaly that a key member of the World Cup semi-finalists was apparently neglected and stuck in the Croatian League

Celtic fans highlighted Livakovic during the World Cup Finals but the January transfer window didn’t bring any movement.

Walking into Celtic last month, Brendan Rodgers inherited a complicated ‘problem’ but nothing like the goalkeeping issue that Ange Postecoglou faced two years ago when he played three different keepers in his first four matches before Joe Hart’s career was brought back to life.

For two years the former England keeper has been critical to Celtic’s success, providing leadership in defence, experience in the dressing room and pulling off impressive saves. Some fans are adamant that Vasilis Barkas never pulled off a save in his time at the club but he did have some good days before everything collapsed in the autumn of 2021.

At the age of 36 Hart is in the final year of his contract with one of his deputies untried and the other untrusted.

Right now Rodgers badly needs Hart to provide stability in defence but with his contract issue and the possibility of injury the new hoops boss needs a viable plan B.

Fenerbahçe are closing in on Dominik Livaković deal. Agreement in place with the player, personal terms sealed. 🟡🔵

Fenerbahçe are also on the verge of closing the agreement with Dinamo Zagreb, as @yagosabuncuoglu reports.

Meanwhile, Becão will fly to Istanbul on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/Q1dJDRWoau

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 15, 2023

UPDATE: Fenerbahce are leading the race to sign Dinamo Zagreb keeper Dominik Livakovic.

It’s understood the Turkish club made a bid last night for the Croatia No1.

Celtic, Villarreal and Fiorentina have all been interested in the 28-year-old. https://t.co/RCDApS8xAu

— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) July 15, 2023

If Livakovic is signed t won’t be with a view to his future sell on value it will be for the old fashioned notion of adding to the football team, making Celtic better, more successful.

When Celtic have progressed in the Champions League they’ve called on heroics from Artur Boruc and Fraser Forster, if Livakovic could repeat his World Cup form Celtic might stand a fighting chance in the Champions League which is less than two months away.

There are other suitors, the Fenerbahce ‘done deal’ hasn’t been signed off, today Turkish site Takvim reports:

Galatasaray took action for the Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, whom Fenerbahçe had been trying to transfer for days.

Galatasaray wants to deal a second blow to Fenerbahçe by realizing this transfer. The contract of the Uruguayan goalkeeper of the Yellow-Reds, Fernando Muslera, expires next summer. That’s why Galatasaray Management wants to reinforce its staff with a star goalkeeper. Galatasaray plans to secure its castle by transferring Livakovic.

It seems like Galatasaray are pre-empting the situation of their established keeper being in the final year of his contract.

The Turkish market is a complex one but Maik Nawrocki is reported to have put in a phone call to Josip Juranovic who gave a glowing reference to the challenges and opportunities at Celtic.

Perhaps a phone call from the Union Berlin defender to his international goalkeeper could point him towards Glasgow and a slightly different challenge to the one he seems close to taking up in Istanbul.

After posting notice to the Stock Market of higher than predicted profits Celtic are in a fairly unique position.

The annual scramble to qualify for the Champions League is a thing of the past, the nerves and tension will be experienced across the city with no midweek ‘excitement’ for Celtic fans during August.

Over the last 15 years Celtic have enjoyed possibly the best run of goalkeepers that they’ve known in their history- from Boruc to Hart via Forster and Craig Gordon.

Livakovic seems destined for Istanbul but it’s not yet too late to entice him to Celtic and the opportunities that took Juranovic’s game to new heights.

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