Martin O’Neill confirmed that Celtic are on the brink of making their first permanent signing of the month – with a £6.5million deal for French winger Fares Ghedjemis thought to be nearing completion.
The Parkhead club – who secured their place in the Europa League knockout play-off round with a 4-2 win over Utrecht – are also in talks with Hungarian forward Damir Redzic, but it seems more likely that Ghedjemis will arrive instead.
Ghedjemis is a pacy 23-year-old wide man who plays for Italian second division side Frosinone. Redzic, 22, plays across the front line for Slovak side DAC Dunajska Streda, and also has an offer from RB Salzburg.
It’s believed a fee and personal terms are now agreed with Ghedjemis and he is set to travel to Glasgow to complete formalities.
Asked about the prospect of signing both players, O’Neill said after the Utrecht game: ‘I’ve got to tell you, you wouldn’t be a million miles away. They’re both wingers. Would it be one or the other? It could be.’
On whether he was more confident of making a signing than 24 hours ago, he said: ‘Actually, I think I am. There’s progress today on certain things, yes. I don’t want to be that cryptic. I would hate to say something is absolutely certain and then it fell away.’
Fares Ghedjemis is set to become Celtic’s first permanent signing of January window
Auston Trusty roars with delight after scoring Celtic’s crucial fourth goal against Utrecht
Trusty rises highest to meet Arne Engels’ corner with a powerful header which made it 4-2
Needing a win to progress, Celtic raced into a three-goal lead against the Dutch inside 19 minutes. Things became nervy after they lost two soft goals either side of half-time, but Auston Trusty scored a fourth with a towering header, and Celtic finished 21st in the 36-team group to make it through.
They will find out today if they will face Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros or Stuttgart in the play-off round, with the first leg in Glasgow on February 19.
The Hungarians beat Rangers earlier in the competition, while Stuttgart are currently fifth in the Bundesliga.
‘I’m delighted, obviously, with the result for a start,’ said O’Neill. ‘It was nice, we played really strongly for the first 20 minutes and got ourselves in front, a couple of great goals, then it got a little bit nervy when we went to 3-2, but Trusty scored a great header.
‘Overall, I was delighted with the performance. You would have got long odds about us qualifying after about four games or something like this here.
‘But great credit to the players, they worked tirelessly. And I just said to them before the game that last Thursday’s performance (a 2-2 draw in Bologna) was magnificent, playing 60 minutes with 10 men.
‘The performance in Feyenoord (a 3-1 win in November) was great. So, you just didn’t want that to count for nothing.’
Martin O’Neill’s team will now face Ferencvaros or Stuttgart in Europa League play-off round
Engels and Trusty share a hug after they combined for fourth goal against Dutch visitors
Benjamin Nygren set Celtic on their way to victory with an early goal at Parkhead
There is now a 50/50 chance that O’Neill could face former Celtic striker Keane, who was the star turn of his Republic of Ireland side.
‘Robbie’s just starting his managerial career,’ he said. ‘And, from the start he’s made, he’s done really, really well. So, he’s been a great player as well. He’s got a bit of pedigree.’
Celtic now have a chance to win a post-Christmas knockout tie for the first time since O’Neill’s all-conquering side beat Barcelona in 2004.
‘I genuinely didn’t know that,’ said the 73-year-old. ‘Right that wrong … there have been a few wrongs in my time as well.
‘It’s genuinely nice to be in the draw, really. I’ve said this before, whether we’re good enough to continue is another issue, regardless. But it is nice actually to have another game at Celtic Park in a knockout thing.’
