Celtic are poised to land Tjark Ernst, a 23-year-old goalkeeper from Hertha Berlin, in a £4.3m deal, as they look to bolster their squad. Currently 3rd in Premiership with 67 points, Celtic are on a 5-game winning run, with their recent form reading WWWWW.

What's behind the transfer move?

The Hoops are keen to strengthen their goalkeeping department, with Viljami Sinisalo currently the number one, after Kasper Schmeichel's retirement. Ernst's impressive performances in the 2. Bundesliga, where he prevented 8.66 more goals than expected, make him an attractive option.

Why Tjark Ernst is a better signing than Camilo Duran

Celtic are also in talks to sign Qarabag's Camilo Duran, but Ernst's abilities make him a more desirable target. Daizen Maeda's 14 goals in the Premiership suggest that he would still be a better option up front, making Duran not a guaranteed upgrade.

What comes next for Celtic?

With the transfer window open, Celtic are expected to trigger Ernst's release clause immediately, but they face competition from Feyenoord, who are also willing to pay the £4.3m fee. Hertha Berlin have not given up on keeping Ernst, so Celtic will need to convince him to make the move to Scotland. As of their last result, Celtic won 3-1 against Dunfermline on 2026-05-23, and they are now 3 points behind leaders Heart Of Midlothian, with 59 goals scored and 35 conceded, giving them a +24 goal difference.