Reports in Houssam Essadak's homeland state that Celtic have made an enquiry about signing the Morocco Under 20s captain. The managerless club, which is expected to invest in the January transfer window, has asked his club UTS Rabat for their valuation of the young defensive midfielder. Essadak, who recently captained his country to victory in the Under 20s World Cup, was close to a £400,000 move to Las Palmas in the summer but withdrew from the transfer after they were relegated from La Liga. Sunderland have also been linked with the 20-year-old, but reports in the African country state that Celtic are in the leading position to sign him. Essadak, who has 23 caps and one goal for Morocco's U20 side, joined his current club in January 2024 and has a contract until June 2025. He has made one league appearance in the 2025/2026 season, and his market value is estimated by Transfermarkt to be €500k.