Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has confirmed that the club are strongly interested in Frosinone winger Farès Ghedjemis.
Reports from Ghedjemis’ native Algeria claimed that Celtic have rekindled their interest in a player they tried to sign back in January and speaking on Friday, O’Neill revealed that the defending Premiership champions are keen to bring the 23-year-old in during this summer transfer window.
Ghedjemis helped Frosinone earn promotion to Italy’s Serie A last season and is believed to be valued at £8 million. There have also been suggestions that Rangers are also looking at the former Vannes and Rouen player.
O’Neill confirmed that the club is making progress on recruitment and on Ghedjemis, he said: “I don’t know whether Rangers are trying to sign him. But we have a very strong interest in him. I don’t know about the other thing.”
Asked if he was one the players Celtic were close to signing, O’Neill smiled: “I don’t know how close we can get, but we are genuinely making good progress.”
There has also been speculation on a return for left-back Greg Taylor, who left Celtic Park for PAOK in Greece last summer. “I would be going on forever and a day!” O’Neill exclaimed on speculation. “Kieran [Tierney] will be our first choice left back and we need someone to fill in the position.
“I don’t want to throw anything into the melting pot, but [Marcelo] Saracchi hasn’t gone anywhere yet has he? Well there we go.”
O’Neill was more open on potential exits for defender Alistair Johnston and midfielder Arne Engels, who are wanted by Everton and West Ham respectively. The 74-year-old explained that Toffees boss David Moyes rang him to reveal their interest in Johnston, while the Hammers’ opening bid for Engels fell short of Celtic’s valuation.
“I think there’s definitely truth in that,” said O’Neill on Engels. “I think there’s been something put in that hasn’t remotely made our valuation for a start.
“And the same with Alistair Johnston, Everton have been in contact. And I’m not sure whether there’s been a bid in there for that one, but they’ve been in contact saying that they would be.
“In fairness, David Moyes did call me last week and say that there would be contact. But I don’t know how far that has progressed, if it has at all. But yeah, that would be disappointing obviously. But I suppose it’s to be expected, you know, players who have done well.
“We turned down a big offer in January [for Engels] from Nottingham Forest. They came in at the very last minute, so we couldn’t do anything. Arne was alright with it, you know.
“But it’s difficult to stop people if their ambition is to play in a big, big league. West Ham have been relegated, but obviously enhance their financial situation. Those things are difficult.
“Our job is to try and keep them, try and do our best to keep them. If that’s not possible, naturally we’ll have to try and get replacements in. To replace those players would be a difficult task.”
O’Neill said he was braced for bids for Johnston on the back of a strong World Cup. “I’ve spoken to him on the back of the interest,” said the manager. “Again, it was one of those where Alistair is perfectly happy here at the football club. But like anything else, your head can get turned very quickly, particularly if it’s a really good club. He wouldn’t leave here for a second-class Premier League club, if there is such a thing, but if a big, big club comes in, it’s something you would have to look at. And I think it’s only natural as well. If I was a player, I’d be exactly the same.
“Whether I like it or not, I bet you agents will be doing that [telling players to explore options], one way or the other. No-one obeys any rules now – us included. No-one does that. This idea of the gentlemanly thing … that was amazing actually that David should actually speak to me, I think that’s only knowing each other for some time. He was preparing me that something might be happening.
“They’ll have done their homework. But I just felt when he was doing well at the World Cup that it meant he was over the injury he’d had. We only had him at the back end of last season and he showed how good he is, he did great. I shouldn’t really be surprised.”