Celtic transfer bid for Aston Villa star tipped for 'incredible' career by Hoops legend
Latest Aston Villa transfer news as one of their returning players could be subject of an approach from the Scottish Premiership.
Celtic are preparing a bid to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, according to reports in Finland.
Sinisalo has just completed a season out on loan with Exeter City where he has earned rave reviews. The 22-year-old missed just one League One game for the Grecians as he kept 13 clean sheets in English football's third tier.
He was happy with how the loan went, describing it as the ‘best year of his life’ and had hoped to return to St James Park one day. Sinisalo though is now attracting interest from a potential Champions League rival of Aston Villa.
"It's been the best year of my life, the best footballing season of my life," he said in an interview BBC Radio Devon.
"It's been brilliant. I owe so much to the football club and everyone around here.
"All I can say is thank you and I love this football club and hopefully one day, I don't know when, I can return here."
Eetu Ikola, a journalist for Mtvuutise in Sinisalo's native Finland said in a post on X: "𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟: Celtic FC are preparing a bid for Viljami Sinisalo, who is also attracting interest from the Championship.
“Aston Villa have a decision to make on the 22-year-old goalkeeper, whose current deal runs out in June 2025.”
During his time down in Devon, the Finnish shotstopper was named the Player of the Year by both his supporters and his peers. In total, he claimed six awards in their end-of-season awards night.
In an interview last week, Gary Caldwell spoke to BBC Radio Devon about how much he enjoyed working with Sinisalo. He said: “He turned up at half five at a gym at Newton Abbot and he was the first one there, after cancelling his holiday.
"I think that tells you everything you need to know about Vil, and I'm sure he'll go on to have an incredible career."
Aston Villa will now be faced with a decision to make over his future. He has been at the club since 2018 but has yet to make a senior appearance for the club. Sinisalo has had loans with Ayr United, Burton Albion and Exeter City but is out of contract in the summer.
His route in to the first-team was made harder with the arrival of Joe Gauci who joined for an undisclosed fee from Adelaide United in the January transfer window. World Cup winner Emi Martinez is the first-choice goalkeeper with Robin Olsen as back-up. Olsen is expected to deputise for Martinez against Olympiacos on Thursday night with the Argentine serving a suspension.