Who is Cole Campbell? Everything Celtic fans need to know about new winger target

Celtic are reportedly eyeing a move to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Cole Campbell on loan for the season ahead.

Martin O'Neill is back at Celtic and has a huge summer ahead as they look to pull further ahead of Hearts and Rangers next term.

The legendary Hoops manager will have plans in place to make several signings in the coming months to bolster and add valuable depth to his squad.

Celtic are set to have a new right winger addition lined up as James Forrest nears the end of his career, with Hyun-jun Yang likely to be O'Neill's first choice.

Borussia Dortmund youngster Campbell is believed to be on their radar after a tough loan spell with Hoffenheim.

Sky Sport Germany journalist Patrick Berger has reported that the Hoops have held talks over a move for Campbell, and he is open to leaving Dortmund this summer.

The 20-year-old is not well known on these shores as it stands, so Football Insider have looked at everything that Celtic fans need to know about his career so far.

Campbell was born in Houston to professional women's footballer Rakel Karvelsson, so he is eligible to represent the USA and his mother's country, Iceland.

It was in Iceland that he made his senior professional debut at just 15-years-old in 2021, as he appeared for top-flight side FH to become the second-youngest player in their history.

Campbell left Iceland to join Dortmund's academy in 2022, and registered six goals and five assists in 11 under-17 Bundesliga games during his first season at the club.

The winger was chosen to join a first-team winter training camp midway through the 2023-24 season in Spain, but failed to leave an impression after being disciplined for leaving the team hotel after their midnight curfew.

He still went on to make his debut for the Dortmund senior side in October 2024, coming on in in the 89th minute during a 2-1 Bundesliga loss to Augsburg.

The 20-year-old's international career began when he featured for Iceland's under-17 side in 2021, but he has since played for several USA youth teams, with two caps for their U23's up to now.

Campbell went on to feature five more times for Dortmund in the 2024-25 season and impressed in their reserve side, but struggled for game time at the start of last term, with just one senior appearance from the bench in September against Heidenheim.

The German giants loaned him out to fellow top-flight side Hoffenheim in January, but Campbell only racked up five appearances and 74 minutes of game time during the tough short-term stint.

Hoffenheim have chosen not to exercise their buy clause this summer, meaning Celtic can swoop in for the 20-year-old as he looks to leave Dortmund.

Sources have told Football Insider that Celtic are set to earn millions from their upcoming glamour friendly with AC Milan.

It is just as well, considering Hoffenheim's buy option for Campbell was reportedly set at £6.8m, so Dortmund will not be planning to let him go cheaply this summer.

He clearly has big potential that is yet to be realised, especially considering how former Dortmund chief executive Sebastian Kehl once praised the young winger.

Speaking about him in 2022, he said: "Cole is a very young and extremely exciting player, who took huge strides in the past year. We see so much potential in him."

Hoffenheim managing director Andreas Schicker was pleased to sign him in January too, as he said: "Cole is a talented winger with great potential who we’ve been watching for a long time. He has high speed and qualities in one-v-ones. He can be used in different ways on the wings. We’re convinced he can give our team added impetus."