Celtic Transfer News: Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are in advanced talks to sign Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Balázs Tóth, with the deal moving at serious pace after the Hungarian confirmed his verbal agreement to join. Fraser Fletcher, reporting for TEAMtalk, says the clubs are aiming to wrap up the transfer before this week concludes, with a fee settling in the region of £4 million.
Both clubs have agreed the broad financial structure in principle, though finer contractual details remain under discussion. At 28, Tóth is reportedly keen to move to Glasgow and compete for silverware under Martin O’Neill, whose side need proven goalkeeping depth heading into what promises to be a demanding domestic and European schedule for Celtic Transfer News followers to track.
Celtic Transfer News: Why this signing makes sense
This isn’t a panic buy. Tóth had a genuinely impressive 2025-26 campaign at Blackburn, making 34 Championship appearances and one FA Cup outing across 3,179 minutes of football. He led the entire division with a 69.3% save percentage and averaged 2.9 saves per 90 minutes. Blackburn’s Players’ Player of the Year. That award doesn’t come from a mediocre season.
Celtic have historically plugged the goalkeeper position with veterans running on empty: Joe Hart, Kasper Schmeichel. Tóth is different. At 28, he’s entering a goalkeeper’s genuine prime, not leaving it. His 1.89m frame gives O’Neill an assertive, box-commanding presence who can organise a backline under the specific pressure of European nights.
Some critics flag that he’s not a modern sweeper-keeper in the mould of 21-year-old alternatives like Leo Cavallius. Fair point, but with Celtic’s Champions League play-off against LASK carrying serious financial stakes, youth becomes a liability. Tóth is an established international, representing Hungary in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He chose Celtic over reported Serie A interest. For £4 million, that’s a statement of intent from the player himself.
Read: £4.5m Celtic outcast now linked with exit
O’Neill gets a goalkeeper capable of winning him a domestic game off one or two counter-attacks while also holding composure in Europe. Celtic Transfer News doesn’t get much cleaner than this.
