Celtic are on the lookout for a new number one to replace Joe Hart before the new campaign gets underway at Parkhead.
Scott Bain and Benjamin Siegrist remain as options in the background; however, the saga is set to become a major priority over the coming weeks.
Plenty of names have already been linked with Brendan Rodgers’ men, including Bayern Munich’s Daniel Peretz, Southampton veteran Alex McCarthy and free agent Kenan Piric.
According to reports last month, Aston Villa goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo is also on Celtic’s radar following an excellent campaign on loan at Exeter City.
The two-cap Finland international made 50 appearances across all competitions for the Grecians, keeping 14 clean sheets in the process [Transfermarkt].
With speculation rife over who Celtic could look to bring in between the sticks, one of his former teammates has now given his verdict on the 22-year-old.
Viljami Sinisalo endorsed by former Exeter City teammate
Speaking to The Athletic, Exeter goalkeeper Shaun McDonald has endorsed Sinisalo’s capabilities as a shot stopper, claiming that a move to Celtic would be a ‘great’ step for his career.
He explained: “He’s wasting his time coming back to League One next year. I’ve said that openly and he agrees. He’s got a year left on his contract, so he would probably have to sign a new deal if he was going on loan again.
“I would say move to the Championship. I saw stories about Celtic, so something like that would be great.”
McDonald later added: “Villa might cash in on him because they’ve signed Joe Gauci and because Vil’s status as an asset is quite high after this year; a lot of clubs are looking at him. He needs to find the right manager and feel the love. If it’s another loan or if Villa opt to sell him, the ball is in his court.”
Sinisalo is clearly a capable last line of defence, having obtained a save percentage rate of 70.3% from 182 shots on target faced across 45 outings in the English third-tier [FBRef].
Whether he will be drafted in as Hart’s replacement is anyone’s guess; however, this rumour doesn’t seem to be going away, so it may be worth keeping an eye on.