Preston North End are eyeing an ambitious move for Celtic forward Scott Sinclair, according to reports from the Lancashire Evening Post.

Sinclair has been frozen out somewhat at Celtic Park in the last 12 months and now Preston manager Alex Neil is looking to make his move, as he seeks a replacement for Callum Robinson, who departed earlier in the transfer window for Sheffield United.

Preston have reportedly asked Celtic about taking Sinclair on loan but Celtic are keen on a permanent deal for former Man City man Sinclair, with a price tag in the region of £2.5m slapped on him.

That price tag though will seemingly prove the sticking point for the Lancashire club, who will also have to swalllow up what is expected to be a sizeable wage for Sinclair.

The 30-year-old has enjoyed a successful spell in Scotland ever since making the move north of the border from Aston Villa, and he has racked up in excess of 100 appearances for the Glasgow giants as he worked his way in to becoming a key cog in their title winning success of the past few years.

However, with Neil Lennon now back at the helm and Celtic having other options up front, Sinclair could now be on his way out of the club, with Championship clubs like Preston bound to be the sort of destination he is keeping an eye on.

The Verdict

This would be some swoop for Preston if they could manage to pull it off, and would be a like for like replacement for Robinson.

They need to replace the speed and goals lost through the sale of Robinson, and Sinclair fits the mould perfectly.

Alex Neil will hope to convince Celtic to let him come on loan, and if he does, Sinclair could well be the sort of player who helps fire Preston into surprise contention for the top six.