AC Milan only see Celtic centre-back Kristoffer Ajer as a “backup plan” according to the Daily Record. There have been reports that the Rossoneri were lining up a loan bid, with an option to buy the Norwegian for €15m (£14m), but the Scottish newspaper claims the Serie A side have prioritised the signing of Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina instead.

Hoops boss Neil Lennon was not impressed when he first heard of the latest rumours linking Ajer with a move to the San Siro and he said that the Italian club’s potential offer for the defender was below their valuation:

“We don’t want to sell him. I’m not convinced £14 million would cut it anyway.”

Ajer’s contract does only have around 21 months left to run and, with no talks over an extension said to be underway, speculation over the 22-year-old’s future is likely to rumble on for a while.

In addition to AC Milan, the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Leicester have also been linked with the Norwegian international over the past few months.