Celtic are said to remain interested in a move for summer target Gvidas Gineitis. The Torino midfielder was on the Bhoys' radar for much of the summer, and he was the subject of a late push from the Glasgow giants ahead of the UEFA squad registration deadline.
That late push came to nothing, with Celtic ultimately deciding not to meet Torino's asking price, and that was despite them receiving as much as £22million for Arne Engels from West Ham.
Celtic were as penny-tight as they often are, and they are now paying the price for it. Martin O'Neill has a major midfield problem having lost his most talented player. The midfield lacks legs and someone to carry the ball from deep into the midfield, and it is plaguing the Hoops.
The Bhoys simply must address that issue in the January transfer window, but the big question is whether they go back to Gineitis or whether they go elsewhere, and that will all likely come down to whether Celtic are now ready to pay what Torino want.
The price could dip a little, with Gineitis having struggled for form so far this season, even while playing regularly. Torino bought midfield duo Daniel Bragança and Rolando Mandragora in the summer, so Gineitis could be on borrowed time if he doesn't turn things around.
ToroNews have reported that Celtic remain interested in Gineitis ahead of this winter, and that a move remains on the cards despite the summer's shortcomings.
In the meantime, a few weeks ago, Gineitis said: “It would be an interesting and positive experience.
“It would be stimulating to test myself at that level, at a club like that. But now I am where I am.
If Torino wanted to sell me and another club wanted to buy me, the question would be how much they would offer me to play there. Everything depends on my final decision.”
Those comments can't have endeared Gineitis to the Torino supporters, and it does seem likely that the midfielder will move on one way or another. But Celtic are going to have to look closely at his performances between now and January.
They don't want to be signing an out of form player in January for the sake of signing what they couldn't get in the summer. The Bhoys need to make sure they are signing a player who can come in and make an instant impact in their midfield.
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