Celtic Eye £16m Winger In Summer Push: Does Martin O’Neill Need Him? | OneFootball

Celtic have reignited their interest in Girona winger Yaser Asprilla, with Turkish transfer journalist Ekrem Konur reporting that the Scottish champions are again exploring a deal for the 22-year-old Colombian. It won’t be straightforward.

Girona, now in Spain’s second tier after relegation from La Liga, aren’t keen on letting Asprilla leave. The player, though, reportedly wants out and is determined to keep playing top-flight football. Valencia and Serie A side Lecce are also interested, according to Konur, while Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra has previously reported on the situation.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 18: Yáser Asprilla of Colombia reacts during the International Friendly match between Colombia and Australia at Citi Field on November 18, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images)

This isn’t a new name for Celtic. The club approached Girona in January, only for Galatasaray to win the race for a loan deal. Asprilla spent the second half of the campaign in Istanbul before returning to Spain in the summer.

His spell in Turkey was hardly ideal. A knee oedema disrupted his time at Galatasaray, while his league statistics make fairly grim reading: no goals and no assists across seven Süper Lig appearances. Look beyond the headline numbers, though, and there’s more to like.

Asprilla’s progressive carrying and dribbling numbers put him among the stronger players in those categories. That’s exactly the sort of weapon Celtic have been missing against stubborn Premiership defences. Give him the ball, isolate a full-back and let him run at him. Girona boss Quique Álvarez has described the winger as “brave” for the way he tries to dictate play under pressure.

T4O take: A winger Celtic badly need

Celtic’s need for width is obvious.

Nicolas Kühn has gone. Jocelin Ta Bi, signed as a potential replacement, was taken by Sunderland before making a competitive appearance for Celtic. That leaves Martin O’Neill with fewer convincing options when teams park themselves deep.

Asprilla offers something different. He’s 22, has 11 Colombia caps and has already tasted Champions League football with Girona. There is a financial question, of course. Girona paid Watford €18 million for him in 2024, while his current market valuation is closer to €13.5m. A loan with an option to buy could make considerably more sense for Celtic than committing heavily upfront.

For a player whose game is built around taking risks and attacking defenders, that’s an opportunity worth pursuing. Girona’s resistance is the problem. Celtic need the player to force the issue before Valencia or Lecce do.