Celtic are set to push ahead in their pursuit of winger Haissem Hassan despite concerns over Real Oviedo's asking price. The Bhoys are about to finalise their signing of Kasper Hogh, who will arrive on an initial £11million deal from Bodo/Glimt, with add-ons also included in the deal.
The deal is the second of the summer for Celtic, but many more deals are going to be required if Martin O'Neill is to have a strong squad with depth to call upon this season. There are lots of gaps in this Celtic squad, but it looks as though the club's hopes of filling them will likely go down to the wire, with the majority of signings likely to come after the start of the season next week.
Celtic 'will return' for Haissem Hassan
Celtic have been linked with Real Oviedo and Egypt World Cup star Hassan for much of the summer, but they have so far been kept at bay by the Spanish side, who are reportedly standing firm by their £10.2million release clause in the winger's contract.
Hassan had a very impressive World Cup, and that will only aid Oviedo in negotiations, especially with other European clubs also said to be interested, while Hassan's old club Villarreal also have a sell-on clause that will deduct from Oviedo's profit.
Celtic will continue attempting to reduce the price, though, according to journalist Christian Vaquero, who has posted on X: "Celtic WILL RETURN for Haissem Hassan after the signing of Kasper Hogh. The first offer of 4M€ was rejected by Real Oviedo, but after the sale of Maeda it's expected that they'll come back with an offer close to 5.5M€."
Oviedo were relegated last season after one season in LaLiga, but they did not outspend their means after winning promotion, so they don't find themselves in a position where they need to sell to survive their descent.
That gives them space to stand firm, but if the player wants to leave, which we do not know to be the case, then there could be a compromise that is found. Celtic will be hoping that is the case, but it's very unlikely £5.5million will be enough to get a deal done.
There is also talk of interest from Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which will not help Celtic's case as they look to pull Oviedo down to a lower fee. Much could come down to Hassan's actions in the transfer saga, and indeed where he wants to play this coming season.
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