Guinean Mo Camara was today praying that Glasgow Celtic win the race for his signature.

The former Burnley defender, one of eight players released by Burnley this summer, remains a target for the Scottish Premier League runners-up despite Gordon Strachan replacing Martin O'Neill as boss.

Sources north of the border claim that Strachan held face-to-face talks with O'Neill shortly before the Irishman's departure, and vowed to act on his summer hit-list.

And Celtic's urgency for a left back has increased since Jackie McNamara left the club last week to join Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Camara is pencilled in for a meeting with his agent this evening to discuss his next move, with two other clubs in the hunt, Leicester City and Ipswich Town, believed to have been set a deadline of today to follow up their own initial interest.

However, the ex-Claret insists that Celtic Park, which will again stage Champions League football next season, remains his preferred destination.

Camara said: "My dream is to get this sorted and play for Celtic. I have three options and I still need to sit down with my agent, but I am driven by the dream of playing at a higher level and you cannot get higher than the Champions League.

"That's why Celtic is so attractive right now. The fact they will play European football every year will always be an attraction to me."

Camara, 30 later this week, said he has talked to close friend Mo Sylla, the Ivory Coast defender who left Celtic this summer to join Leicester, to gain an insight into the Scottish giants.

And after listening to the advice of a Scottish clan at his former club Wolves, Camara is keen to shun the English Championship to chance his arm in the SPL.

He added: "I spoke to my friend Mo Sylla and I know from my Scottish pals at Wolves, Kenny Miller and Colin Cameron, the sort of passion people carry for the clubs in Glasgow.

"I like that and the thought of playing at that sort of club excites me so much.

"This is not about the money for me and I'm aware that the fans of Celtic might look and say 'what is happening if we are signing players from clubs like Burnley?'

"All I can tell them is if it happens they would get a hungry player desperate to show the fans and the manager how good he can be."