Celtic are interested in signing Preston North End defender Ben Davies this summer, according to Football Insider.

Neil Lennon will be scouring the market for a potential replacement for Kristoffer Ajer, whose future is believed to be uncertain following Celtic's failure to qualify for the Champions League group stage this week.

Celtic lost 2-1 to Ferencvaros at Celtic Park on Wednesday in the second qualifying round, and Football Insider claim that Ajer is looking for a move away following the club's disappointing defeat.

Quiz: Can you remember the score from each of these 12 Preston North End matches from the 2019/20 season?

According to Football Insider, the club have now set their sights on Preston centre-half Ben Davies as a potential replacement for Ajer.

The 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength since returning to Deepdale following a loan spell at Fleetwood Town in 2017, becoming a key player in the heart of North End's defence.

The left-sided, ball-playing centre-half has made 126 appearances for Preston, featuring 38 times for Alex Neil's side last season, in a campaign where North End narrowly missed out on a top-six finish.

Davies only has one year left on his contract at Deepdale, so it remains to be seen whether the club look to cash in this summer, rather than potentially lose him for nothing next summer.

The Verdict

I really rate Davies as a defender and I think he'd be a quality signing for Celtic.

Ball-playing, left-sided centre-backs are hard to come by nowadays, and Davies is arguably the best in the EFL, and he's at an age where he can develop and only get better.

A move to Parkhead would certainly be tempting despite Celtic's Champions League exit, as there is still a 10th SPFL title to hunt down this term.