It was revealed today that Serie B club Frosinone thought that Celtic's bid for Fares Ghedjemis was "well below" what they expected, but it is now being reported that talks continued despite that.
According to Record Sport, the Celts had an offer of around £6 million accepted in the end. Ghedjemis was excited about a potential move to Glasgow but ended up deciding that he wanted to remain in Italy for their promotion push in the second half of the season.
Ghedjemis opting to stay with Frosinone was a big blow to Celtic and forced them to look elsewhere. After their bid for Demir Redzic was rejected in favour of RB Salzburg, the Hoops instead went after Joel Mvuka, who is now a done deal.
No choice but to move on
There was understandably some frustration when it was revealed that the deal was off. Supporters slandered the board for being unable to spend enough money to get deals over the line, and while there are still other examples of that, fans will have to move on from Ghedjemis.
The winger was Martin O'Neill's top target this window after scoring eight and assisting twice in 23 appearances this season. Apparently, his club were looking for a bumper fee closer to £9 million before considering a sale, but it appears that the Celtic hierarchy managed to barter them down.
Ghedjemis would have been a great addition to a Celtic squad that has struggled this season. Wingers capable of providing more service to confirmed signing Tomas Cvancara and Hoops-bound Junior Adamu would have been welcome, but it seems that although Celtic were hoping for two, they'll have to settle for just one in Mvuka.
Mvuka hasn't registered a goal or assist this season but fans are hopeful he can put in good performances for the Celts.
Adamu's record also isn't great this season, with only two goals in 18 appearances, but he is capable of playing on both wings as well as a striker, so he offers the versatility that Celtic desperately need. It seems that there may also be a buy clause in his loan deal, so he could be a permanent addition to the squad.
Celtic seem confident in their ability to keep all of their starters, with the club rejecting an offer worth £25 million from Nottingham Forest for Arne Engels.
Austin Trusty is still attracting interest though, while Johnny Kenny and Tobi Oluwayemi are both heading down south on loan deals.