Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers looks likely to make experienced defender Marvin Compper his first signing of the January transfer window.

The 32-year-old RB Leipzig centre-back will be allowed to leave Germany in the forthcoming window after finding himself on the periphery of the first-team this term.

The defender was a substitute in the 2-2 draw with Mainz this weekend but he has featured just three times for the Leipzig first-team so far this season.

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And sources close to Celtic have confirmed that Compper could be set for a switch to Glasgow when the window opens next month.

Compper began his career with Borussia Monchengladbach and has also had spells with Hoffenheim and Fiorentina.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to bring in another central defender in January and Compper looks set to be the first name to arrive.

Compper was a crucial member of the Leipzig team who won promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016 and Rodgers is believed to be an admirer of the defender. Compper is expected to fulfil a coaching role with the German club when he decides to retire from the playing however, at just 32, he still have a few seasons left in him.

His experience could prove vital for Celtic who shipped 18 goals in their Champions League campaign, albeit in a particularly formidable group. One snag may be the fact that Compper was a substitute against Besiktas in the Europa League earlier this season which could well preclude him from being able to play in the last 32 for Celtic.

The Parkhead side drew Zenit St Petersburg in yesterday’s draw with Rodgers enthused by the prospect of coming up against the Russian side.

“You see some of the teams that are in the draw,” said the Celtic manager. “Whoever we were going to get, a lot of the teams were going to be exciting, tough games for us. It’s brilliant. It is a wonderful city. I really enjoyed the experience I had playing against them. Thankfully for us, it’s a bit of time away so it gives us a period to hopefully be a better team when we get around to playing them.”

Meanwhile, although Compper looks a likely candidate for a move to Glasgow next month, reports of the Parkhead side’s interest in Astana striker Partrick Twusmasi – who scored twice against Celtic in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers – do not appear to carry the same substance.

The club have also been linked with a move for St Mirren’s Lewis Morgan and Dundee defender Jack Hendry. Both players were in attendance at the Champions League game against Anderlecht last week at Celtic Park at the invitation of the club.

Morgan has attracted interest from Nottingham Forrest and Preston North End and St Mirren have intimated that they will let the player decide his next destination.

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And while Celtic will bring in new players it is unlikely that they will spend sums on a marquee type player, with Rodgers insisting that the club need to find a way to improve at European level minus the resources of the teams they come up against.

“It's up to us to try and somehow find a way to bridge the gap," said Rodgers.

"Celtic will never be a club that's going to go out and spend hundreds of millions of pounds in getting in these, some of the world-class players.

"That's not where we're at.

"But we have got some very good players and we've got a great structure at the club that allows the club to be stable and financially sufficient and allows us to go on and achieve what we aim to achieve domestically, and of course to then go on and be able to qualify for European football.

"That will bring us, of course, in against some of the giants of the game.

"But we have to embrace that.”