Summary
CELTIC could be forced to stump up [pounds]3million in order to lure Shaun Maloney back to Parkhead from Aston Villa. The SPL champions are in tentative talks with former manager Martin O'Neill concerning a deal to bring the Scotland star back north - with Lee Naylor part of the equation.
Sportsmail understands, however, that a gulf exists in the valuations placed on each player by their clubs. As a result, the deal already bares all the hallmarks of the classic last-minute negotiation so often favoured by O'Neill in his Parkhead days. Gordon Strachan and his players ers returned for preseason training at Lennoxtown yesterday, Naylor joining the likes of outcast Thomas Gravesen back in the fray. Villa are lukewarm over the prospect of taking the unhappy Naylor back south and are reluctant to let Maloney go until they have added to their squad. Playing hardball with Liverpool over skipper Gareth Barry, O'Neill is resigned to his eventual departure. And with a threadbare squad the Irishman is reluctant to let anyone else leave yet. 'We're hoping to try to add to the squad,' he said. 'The players did fantastically well last season, but we had the smallest squad in the Premier League. 'We wouldn't want that to happen this season so we are going to try to address it.'See the full content of this document
Extract
Celtic Fall Short of Villa's Valuation On Maloney
The addition of Naylor would provide cover for first choice left- back Wilfred Bo...
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