Celtic have entered into talks with Huddersfield Town about the signing of right back Tommy Smith, The Daily Record have reported.

Both Celtic and Championship side Stoke City are interested in the defender, and while it appears that Celtic have made the first move, they may still be short of what they need to be if they are to secure the signing of Smith.

It is thought that the Scottish champions are hopeful of sealing a deal for Smith worth £3million, despite the fact that Huddersfield themselves are said to value the full back at £4million. Stoke meanwhile are reportedly reluctant to pay more than £2.5million for the 27-year-old.

Having originally been part of Manchester City's academy, Smith has spent his entire senior career with Huddersfield, and was named the club's captain in August 2017, making exactly 200 appearances in all competitions for the Terriers.

There are just 12 months remaining on Smith's contract at the John Smith's Stadium, although the club do hold the option to extend that by a further 12 months.

The verdict

This feels like a tough one to call right now.

Usually you would say that Huddersfield are under pressure to sell here with Smith approaching the final year of his contract, but the fact that they have the option of extending that by a further 12 months could work in their favour in terms of reducing that pressure somewhat.

Even so, Celtic may still fancy their chances here. You imagine they will have the financial strength to pay Huddersfield's asking price should they want to, and the appeal of competing for silverware and in the Champions League is likely to be a tempting one for Smith.

When you look at Smith's importance to the club both in terms of his ability and importance as the club's captain, you feel that £4million is probably a fair price for the Terriers to demand for the right back.