Celtic close in on £9m Haissem Hassan deal after major transfer breakthrough | OneFootball

Celtic are edging closer to completing the signing of Haissem Hassan, with a deal potentially worth as much as £9 million reportedly in the final stages.

Haissem Hassan of Egypt competes for the ball against Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Tagliafico of Argentina during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

The Real Oviedo winger has been on the Hoops radar for more than a month, with the Scottish champions tracking the Egypt international well before his profile soared at this summer’s World Cup.

Hassan caught the eye on the biggest stage with an impressive display against Argentina last month, attracting wider attention after what had been a difficult domestic campaign in Spain.

Despite that increased competition, Celtic now appear to have made a decisive breakthrough in their pursuit of the 24-year-old.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claims the Scottish champions are working on an agreement which would see them pay an initial £6 million, with add-ons potentially taking the overall package to around £9 million.

Spanish outlet La Nueva España has also reported that negotiations are being finalised, although Oviedo will not retain the entirety of the transfer fee due to Hassan’s former club Villarreal being entitled to a percentage.

There had been signs over the past week that Celtic were exploring other options, with Farès Ghedjemis emerging as a possible alternative as talks for Hassan continued to drag on.

However, the latest developments suggest Martin O’Neill could finally be about to land a player Celtic have pursued throughout the summer.

His World Cup showing may have accelerated interest elsewhere, but Hassan is not simply a player Celtic have identified on the strength of one eye-catching performance against Argentina.

The Hoops’ admiration stretches back considerably further, making the potential deal the culmination of a lengthy recruitment process rather than a reaction to his exploits on the international stage.

Predominantly operating from the right despite being naturally left-footed, Hassan arrives with something to prove following a challenging season at Oviedo.

The winger failed to score across 38 appearances during their relegation campaign from La Liga, contributing three assists along the way. Those numbers represented a drop-off from the previous season, when he found the net four times as Oviedo secured promotion to the Spanish top flight.

Celtic have, of course, previously benefited from looking beyond a player’s immediate statistics.

Nicolas Kühn and Jota both arrived in Glasgow without particularly impressive numbers at their previous clubs before developing into major contributors and ultimately generating significant transfer profits.

Born and brought up in France, Hassan developed at Châteauroux and represented the country at youth international level before eventually committing his senior international future to Egypt.

And he is not the only member of the Egyptian squad to have appeared on Celtic’s radar this summer.

Al-Ahly midfielder Emam Ashour has also been linked with a switch to Glasgow after enhancing his reputation by scoring twice at the World Cup.

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