Bundesliga giants 'watch' £6.8m Celtic target at World Cup - but summer transfer exit is 'not a given' in fresh blow
Celtic were unwilling to match winger’s £6.8m valuation in January but have maintained an interest in the Algerian international
Celtic target Fares Ghedjemis is being monitored closely by Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund at the World Cup to suggest a summer move to Parkhead is now unlikely.
The 23-year-old winger has been firmly on the Scottish champions radar since the start of the year after being scouted by the club’s recruitment team. An official bid was launched during the winter transfer window for the Frosinone star, but the Hoops failed to lure the Algerian international to Glasgow mid-season.
They have maintained a strong interest in the wide man since then, but fresh reports in Germany now claim Dortmund are tracking his progress with a view to potentially submitting an offer of their own.
The Serie B club has set a £6.8m price tag on the attacker in January, which Celtic were unwilling to meet. Ghedjemis’ value will have skyrocketed since then after helping the Italians clinch promotion back to the top-flight before being selected to represent his country in North America this summer.
With his future still up in the air, Frosinone sporting director Renzo Castagnini recently stated they will only conduct business if they receive an appropriate offer.
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, he said: “It’s not a given that he’ll leave. We’ll evaluate the approaches and see if we get an offer that satisfies us. It depends entirely on the market.”
News of Dortmund’s interest in Ghedjemis will come as a hammer blow to Celtic, who have already accepted defeat in their pursuit of promising Swedish central defender Zinedin Smajlovic and experienced Belgian goalkeeper Jari De Busser.
Smajlovic, 22, is reportedly closing in on a transfer to Greek Super League outfit Olympiakos, while Go Ahead Eagles’ shot-stopper De Busser, 26, has opted to stay in the Netherlands due to family reasons after agreeing a deal with Eredivisie rivals AZ Alkmaar.
Fellow target Soufiane El-Faouzi is also expected to snub Celtic, having been offered a bumper new contract by German side Schalke. According to BILD, the Morocco international is poised to put pen to paper on a new deal until 2030 that will result in him banking an annual salary of close to £1 million.
El-Faouzi played every one of Schalke’s 34 league games last season, helping them win the Bundesliga 2 title and seal their top-flight return after a three-year absence.