Martin O'Neill has made Celtic's interest in Farès Ghedjemis plain, saying the club have a "very, very strong interest" in the winger. He added that Celtic are "genuinely making really good progress" on the deal, which gives the noise around the move a bit more weight than your usual summer chatter. The timing is sharp too, with Celtic facing an August 14 deadline to register their European squad for the Champions League play-off.

O'Neill's public nudge

This is not happening in a vacuum. Celtic have already spent £17 million on Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh in the broader squad-building picture, and the Champions League play-off carries a £40 million jackpot. O'Neill's comments sound less like a throwaway line and more like a push for the board to keep moving.

The case for Ghedjemis is easy to see. He scored 15 goals last season, and Celtic's interest sits in the same market logic as the rest of their summer work, where width and end product matter. Rangers are also in the picture, so this is already a genuine race for a player Frosinone do not look keen to let go cheaply.

Price, rivals and Celtic's wider picture

The fee talk has moved around a bit. TEAMtalk reported that Frosinone rejected Celtic's opening offer of around £6 million, while other reports say it will take at least £8 million to move the deal forward. That is the area Celtic now have to work in if they want the winger before the deadline.

O'Neill's wider update made the pressure on the squad even more obvious. He said there was "definitely truth" in interest from West Ham for Arne Engels, and he also confirmed that Everton have been in contact about Alistair Johnston. He stopped short of saying Johnston has gone anywhere, but the fact that both names are in play tells you why Celtic are still being pushed to add rather than simply stand still.

The picture is straightforward enough. Celtic want Ghedjemis, O'Neill wants it moved along, and the club are trying to do that while other major names sit on the market. The next hard date is August 14, when the Champions League squad has to be in, and that gives the board a very clear clock to work against.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →