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Celtic are reportedly preparing to intensify their pursuit of Hearts attacker Claudio Braga. Celtic are ready to step up their interest in Hearts star Claudio Braga as they explore a move before the close of the window. Several sides from overseas are also weighing up moves for Braga. #Celtic #HMFC pic.twitter.com/xxB21xuGO9 — Pete O’Rourke (@SportsPeteO) August 7, 2026 Braga emerged as one of the standout performers in Scottish football last term, with his displays earning him the Premiership Player of the Year award following an outstanding campaign at Tynecastle. The Portuguese forward played a major role in Hearts’ unexpected title challenge, which ultimately ended with Celtic narrowly retaining their title. Now, the champions could look to prise one of their rivals’ most valuable assets away from Edinburgh before the window shuts. According to transfer reporter Pete O’Rourke, Celtic are ready to step up their interest in Braga and are considering making a formal offer in the closing stages of the market. However, the Hoops are unlikely to have a clear run at the attacker, with several teams from overseas also believed to be assessing potential moves. It would represent another significant setback for Hearts after a summer which has already seen several of the key figures behind their title challenge depart Tynecastle. Midfielder Cammy Devlin, captain Lawrence Shankland and manager Derek McInnes have all made the switch to Rangers, leaving the Tynecastle side facing a substantial rebuild. Losing Braga to Celtic on top of those departures would undoubtedly rank among the most dramatic transfers of the Scottish summer. The 24-year-old has already attracted interest from further afield, having previously been linked with French giants Lyon earlier in the window, although speculation surrounding that potential switch has cooled recently. Braga only arrived at Hearts last summer after being identified through Jamestown Analytics, making the sizeable jump from the Norwegian second tier to the Scottish Premiership. It proved to be an inspired piece of recruitment, with the forward quickly adapting to his new surroundings and finishing his debut campaign with 17 goals across all competitions. While Braga is frequently described as a striker, some of his most impressive football came when operating alongside Shankland rather than carrying the attacking responsibility as a conventional lone number nine. That could make Celtic’s interest particularly intriguing given the business they have already completed in attacking areas this summer. Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran have both arrived at Celtic during the window, providing Martin O’Neill with additional options through the middle. Braga would offer another dimension to that forward line, while Celtic are also working towards a deal for Real Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan. Should the champions manage to add both Braga and Hassan to their existing attacking options before the deadline, O’Neill would head into the new campaign with a significantly strengthened frontline. HAVE YOUR SAY – Join the Celtic conversation in our comments section below… Quick Tip – Add Celticshorts.com as your ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for quick access to the Celtic content you value the most. It takes just a few seconds and you’ll notice the difference straight away! – Click HERE….Hail Hail!