Cardiff City and Bristol City are ready to battle it out with Celtic as they look to land Middlesbrough striker Britt Assombalonga.

That's according to Football Insider, and they claim the Teesside outfit may consider cashing in on the 26-year-old as they gear up for another year in the Championship and prepare to cut costs.

Despite a tough previous campaign for Boro, Assombalonga had a decent goals return, scoring 14 times for Tony Pulis' side, which saw him end the year as top scorer.

However, Jonathan Woodgate is now in charge and the new boss may want to bring in his own players ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer at the Riverside.

And, both the Bluebirds and the Robins are desperate for new additions in the final third, with the report stating that they will rival Celtic to land the former Nottingham Forest man.

The Hoops will hope that the lure of European football will give them an advantage in the race for Assombalonga, who cost Boro £15m when he made the move two years ago.

The Verdict

Assombalonga has proven himself to be a top player in the Championship over the years and he still managed to score a lot of goals in the past two seasons for Boro in what was a defensive side.

So, Bristol City and Cardiff would know they are getting someone who delivers at this level as they both look to win promotion next season.

The issue for the Championship pair is Celtic, as the chance to win trophies and play in Europe will no doubt appeal.

Ultimately though, it's about negotiating a fee with Boro and whoever does that knows they will be getting a very good player.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.