Celtic make Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long their top summer target

Celtic have pinpointed Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long as their No 1 transfer target this summer. In a major obstacle to Neil Lennon's plans to land the striker at the second attempt, however, Reading are poised to start the bidding at ?5million after a stunning season for their top scorer. Hot property: Reading's Shane Long The 24-year-old will quit the Madejski Stadium at the end of the season if the Championship club fail to secure promotion to the Premiership via the play-offs. Already aware of Celtic's interest, Long is willing to consider a move to the SPL. But with 23 goals in 46 appearances this season, a raft of English top-flight clubs are now set to trigger an auction, with Everton, Newcastle, Sunderland and Birmingham having all tracked Long closely. Lennon first tried to secure Long for Celtic in January before Reading slapped a ?3m price tag on his head. Now it seems the Parkhead club will have to smash the record ?6m they paid for their current manager 11 years ago to land their priority capture. Long has tried to distance himself from the speculation, saying at the weekend: 'It's always nice to hear good things but I try not to take too much notice of it. I just concentrate on scoring goals for Reading.' Celtic are also keeping tabs on Crystal Palace's on-loan Everton striker James Vaughan and Swansea defender Ashley Williams. German defender Andreas Hinkel, meanwhile, is a target for Bundesliga giants Hertha Berlin.  Thompson hails Lennon for keeping his focus after another parcel bomb Celtic boss Lennon believes his squad's strength in depth will be key to winning SPL title  Explore more:People: James Vaughan Places: Newcastle, Birmingham, Republic of Ireland, Parkhead Club

Source: Daily_Mail