CELTIC are tonight confident of persuading Scott Allan to give up on his dream of playing for Rangers and instead join them in a move that would certainly be one of the most talked about transfers in Scottish football for years.

A bid is expected to be lodged wherein Hibernian would receive a fee of around £500,000 plus Dylan McGeouch, who was on loan at Easter Road last season, on a permanent move plus another young Parkhead fringe player, most likely Callum McGregor, for the rest of this season.

And there has also been a suggestion that if Allan does say yes to Celtic, he would immediately return to Edinburgh where he would spend the rest of this campaign as a Hibs player on loan from the Glasgow club.

Ronny Deila, the Celtic manager, would not comment specifically on the 23-year-old midfielder yesterday, despite being asked about him in a variety of ways, but did admit that his vision is for his team to have a strong Scottish identity.

Celtic believe Allan is strong enough to cope with any reaction that a move to Parkhead would provoke and that he is interested in joining the champions who could offer both him and his current club a better financial package than what was on the table.

Rangers have had three failed bids for Allan, a supporter of the club, this summer and the fact Hibernian refused to even contemplate selling their best player to them but are willing to talk to Celtic will be a frustration for Mark Warburton.

A final offer from Ibrox of £300,000 was rejected, despite Allan having handed in a transfer request. Rotherham United also made a bid but the player intimated he wanted to stay in Scotland.

When asked directly about Allan and the possibility of something happening over the next few days, Deila said: “It’s the same as yesterday. I don’t comment on anything until it’s done. We have lots of things, coming out and in, but nothing is clear. When something is clear I will say something.”

Deila was questioned on whether an official bid had been made. He said: “Again, I don’t comment until it’s done. We shall see if something happens or not. Right now, nothing is clear.”

The Celtic manager was, however, more forthcoming when discussing the type of player he looked for when entering the transfer market. Allan, coincidentally, perfectly fitted the criteria.

“We look at players for two things,” said Deila. “Can they help us fill in the weaknesses we think we have in the team? Also, we are looking for those who have potential to become very good players, and can develop to be Champions League level.

“That is how we have to work. We have to add young players and get in players who can make us better right now.

“I think it is important that if there is a possibility to add Scottish players that we do so. Because we are a Scottish club and there is a lot of talent out there who would die to play for Celtic and want to play for Celtic. We have shown players that there is a possibility to do that.

“When you play in Scotland you know what Celtic is all about and you know the Scottish league as well. That is a positive thing.”

And he added: “‘I think there will be some movement. I don’t want to say any numbers but I’m quite sure there will be some movement.”

The issue of Allan being a Rangers supporter was raised with Deila, although the list of players who have in the past joined Celtic despite having once been a fan of the Ibrox club is a lengthy one.

Arguably, a greater concern for Celtic is the situation with Virgil van Dijk who is being courted by Southampton and many others south of the border.

Deila reiterated that the Dutchman would not be leaving until after the Champions League play-off with Malmo at the earliest but if he was sold then the club had possible replacements lined up.

"We are working on every position all the time. We are quite clever here. We know what we are doing,” said the Norwegian. “We will see what the squad is on September 1. But also I have good players in the squad already. The players who come in will have to be very good to be better than the central defence I have.

“I’m not worried about it. Everything is about the team. We are going in the right way and I know the individuals will develop.

“We don’t have to sell him (Van Dijk). If the right offer comes in then maybe it will be an issue. But our first priority is to keep him.

“I have said before he is one of the biggest talents I have seen in Europe. He could play for one of the top teams in Europe. It’s all about experience. Wherever he eventually goes he will need time to adapt. Whether it is Southampton or whatever, he has the skills to take him to a very high level.”