Celtic send scouts to watch star amid 'growing interest' as Everton and Sunderland among transfer competitors
Hoops face competition from far and wide in pursuit of star
Celtic are reportedly one of 11 clubs who’ve sent scouts to monitor 19-year old BK Hacken midfielder Abdoulaye Doumbia.
The Ivorian, who is also being looked at by Premier League giants Everton, Sunderland and Coventry City, made the switch from Mimosas in his homeland to the Swedish Allsvenskan in January this year. Since then, he’s cemented his place in the starting XI, with two goals and three assists in 24 appearances.
The reported interest from the Hoops shows that the recruitment team would like more squad depth in this area. So far this season, manager Martin O’Neill has struggled to find a balance in the middle of the park. Plus, the sale of Arne Engels to West Ham in the summer has lost them legs in this area.
Celtic face European competition for sought-after star
According to AfricaFoot, Doumbia is attracting ‘growing interest’ from more than just Celtic and the English Premier League. They claim Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge, Strasbourg, Paris FC, Freiburg, Nice and Lens among others are also in the hunt.
They also claim: “This noticeable presence of scouts demonstrates the growing interest in the player's profile. His progress and performances in the Allsvenskan seem to have convinced several recruitment agencies to closely monitor his development. Having arrived at BK Häcken in January 2026, Abdoulaye Doumbia quickly settled into the Swedish league. The midfielder gradually accumulated playing time and experience, confirming his potential with each match.”
What was Martin O’Neill’s reaction to the Falkirk defeat?
Midfield frailties was something that was pointed out on Sunday in Celtic’s 2-0 Premiership defeat to Falkirk. However, after the match, O’Neill maintained that in his opinion, it’s not panic stations just yet given their position at the top of the league. He told Sky Sports: "A tough one to take because I know we conceded two goals but we could have scored six or seven dead easily.
"Their goalkeeper was magnificent on the day - he made some remarkable saves - and we played some really decent stuff as well too on that surface. We're still top of the league. We came from a mile behind last year to win the league. A mile behind on two or three occasions as well. We're still in a decent position at this minute. We've played a lot of football as well. I keep out the noise at the end of it all. I've managed this team now for about a year, give or take a month or two, and I've managed before. Celtic are used to winning, as you can tell by the number of trophies they've won in the last 25 years."