Celtic are leading the race to sign Cardiff City defender Ciaron Brown with the Bluebirds facing a real fight to try and secure his long-term future, per teamTALK.

Football League World has already revealed that Cardiff are facing interest in Brown this summer, with Belgian side KV Oostende believed to be potentially interested in securing a move for him.

While it has also been reported that Mick McCarthy’s side are likely to activate the option on his deal to extend his stay with them by a further 12 months.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a run in the Cardiff side towards the end of the campaign after the decision was made to recall him form his loan spell with Scottish Premier League side Livingston. According to teamTALK, the Bluebirds are keen to keep hold of him beyond the summer, but they are weighing up their options as they know even if they activate his extension he would be free to sign pre-contract agreements next January.

It is also being reported that Celtic have now joined the race for Brown and they are joined by a few other clubs North of the border in holding a potential interest in the 23-year-old. That means that the Bluebirds are going to have to decide what they feel is best for the defender and whether they should cash in on him now.

The verdict

This is a very difficult one for Cardiff, with McCarthy likely to be wanting to keep the defender as part of his options for next term after he made a positive impression for them in the second half of the season. However, it would be hard for them to be assured of keeping him in the long-term if they can only extend his current deal by a further 12 months.

Brown is an asset at the moment with plenty of clubs interested in him and that means that the Bluebirds might be able to bring in a decent transfer fee for the defender. Should they hang on to him for another year then they risk losing him for nothing at the end of next season.

Given how tight finances are going to be this summer, Cardiff might be best trying to start a bidding war on Brown and hope that someone like Celtic stumps up a sizeable sum for them to accept. The 23-year-old could be a good addition to the squad at Celtic given he has already proven himself in the Scottish Premier League and so it could be a move that makes sense.