Celtic manager Neil Lennon is confident Manchester United target Victor Wanyama will stay at the club.
United were linked with Wanyama during the summer, and scout Martin Ferguson – the brother of Sir Alex – is believed to have watched the Kenya international several times this season already.
Arsenal are also keen on signing the midfielder, but Lennon is hoping that both he and Gary Hooper – who has been the subject of two bids from Norwich City in recent days – will still be at Parkhead when the January transfer window closes on Thursday night.
“The last thing we want to do is succumb to a bid on the last hour or last day of the window, which gives us no chance to get any business done,” Lennon said.
“But we’ve made it clear that we don’t want that to happen, and I’m pretty sure it won’t – regardless of the offers coming in. If players are hot property now, they will be hot property in June.
“I think things will hot up in the next three or four days – it normally does.
“The window will shut on Thursday at 11pm and we’re waiting for it to close. We may do a bit of business ourselves as we’re working on a few things.”
Sir Alex Ferguson watched Wanyama in action in midweek, but Lennon insisted the United boss was merely a guest of Celtic to take in the Dundee United game.
“He took in the game as a guest of the club and came in to see us afterwards and was in great form,” he added.
“He came in and spoke to us for 30-40 minutes on football — but he didn’t put any bids in.”