Celtic look to have won the race for Preston North End's Ben Davies despite the defender having reportedly wanted a Premier League move.

The 25-year-old's current deal is set to expire in the summer and, according to Sky Sports, he has agreed a pre-contract with the Hoops.

Celtic, Rangers, and Bournemouth have all been linked in the current window but it appears Davies has opted to join the former.

It appears that was not his first choice, however, as journalist Alan Nixon has reported that the central defender wanted a Premier League move.

That has never materialised, however, despite Sheffield United having been touted with an interest and it seems he has now decided to join the current SPFL champions.

The central defender has been a key member of the Preston squad since the start of the 2017/18 campaign.

Unlike Ben Pearson, Davies has remained a part of Alex Neil's plans throughout this transfer saga but it remains to be seen whether that will be the case moving forward.

Now that a pre-contract has been agreed, it will be interesting to see if the two clubs negotiate a deal for the 25-year-old to move this month - something that would likely mean the Lilywhites are better compensated for his exit.

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The Verdict

It seems that Celtic have won the race for Davies, though a move to the SPFL was not his first choice.

Given he's an English player, it's no surprise that the 25-year-old wanted to move to the top flight and he is more than deserving of a chance at that level.

A left-footed centre-back that is comfortable in possession, you would have thought there would be more interest from Premier League clubs - particularly as it could've been a cut-price deal.