Tony Mowbray’s European scouting network has bore fruit again with Holland youngster Marko Maletic set for a second spell training with Celtic. The Bosnian-born midfielder, who plays for Dutch second division side De Graafschap, spent time at Lennoxtown earlier this season.
Maletic, who has played for Holland’s under 17s but could still switch his allegiance to his home nation, is described as a strong, tough tackling midfield player.
The player is not currently in De Graafschap’s first team squad but is highly regarded by the current second division leaders. The Dutch club are also not willing to let the player go cheap, with their director of football claiming a fee for the player through Fifa’s training compensation guidelines which could run into six figures.
"Under the Fifa rules, we may ask a fee of 300,000 euros (£270,360). That amount has to do with the number of years that a youth player has been with us and with the status of the club that wants him," said Leen Looyen, Director of Football at De Graafschap.
Maletic’s impending return to Lennoxtown comes in a December full of European based trialists arriving for Mowbray to run the rule over. Estonian winger Sander Puri was on trial last week and he was joined by Hungarian quartet Zsolt Korcsmar, Daniel Kovacs, Matyas Magos and Krisztian Simon.
Czech duo Jakub Stochl - a 22-year old defender - and 17-year old forward Antonin Fantis are also in line to train with Celtic with the permission of their club FK Pribram. Fantis has also previously been on trial with the club whilst Gordon Strachan was in charge and has also trained with Juventus.
Celtic signed 18-year old centre-half Milan Misun from Pribram last December and are said to be keen to take a closer look at the latest products from the Czech side’s youth system.
Several Italian Serie A clubs are believed to be interested in the two Czech players and Mowbray will have to move fast if he is to sign compatriots for 18-year-old defender Milan Misun, who joined from the same club last December.
