Bolton Wanderers boss Gary Megson is reportedly preparing to launch an ambitious £7million bid to sign Celtic midfielder Scott Brown in the January transfer window.

According to the Daily Mirror, Megson has earmarked the all-action 24-year-old as the ideal replacement for Sean Davis at the Reebok Stadium after he was ruled out until next season with a serious knee ligament injury.

Brown, who has earned 19 caps for Scotland, is in his third season at Celtic Park having joined the Bhoys in a £4.4million deal from Hibernian back in 2007 and has plenty of admirers south of the border.

Tottenham boss Harry Rednapp is a confirmed fan of the tenacious midfielder, while his Everton counterpart David Moyes is believed to have been keeping a close eye on Brown's progress over the past couple of seasons.

But it appears that Megson could be the first to test the waters with a big-money bid in the New Year after admitting he is looking to sign some top players in January to help the club progress.

"It's going to be a really important window for us because we need to keep the momentum going," he said.

"Since I arrived at the club there has been a huge of amount of players leaving and we're still trying to replace them.

He continued: "There was a huge amount that needed changing but we didn't have the finance to do it quickly.

"We hope to make some good signings in January to push the club forward and help it progress."