Celtic To Smash Transfer Record For £10M Extraordinary Successor To Callum McGregor: Do They Need Him? | OneFootball

Celtic have identified Schalke 04 midfielder Soufiane El-Faouzi as a top transfer target for the summer window. Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke broke the story, confirming the Hoops have already made initial contact. The 23-year-old is coming off a brilliant 2025-26 campaign where he started every single league match, chipping in with two goals and five assists as Schalke clinched the 2. Bundesliga title and moved back up to the top flight.

Celtic eye Schalke’s El-Faouzi in ambitious summer move

Sky Germany first reported Celtic’s approach, noting that the club are currently asking around to see where the player stands. However, O’Rourke warned on the Transfer Insider podcast that signing El-Faouzi will be a tough task. Schalke have slapped a £10 million price tag on the midfielder, who is tied down until 2029.

Schalke are keen to keep him for their Bundesliga return, and no formal talks have happened with other clubs yet. To make matters tougher, Brentford, Bologna, and Sunderland are also in the hunt, making it a crowded race for his signature. Meanwhile, Celtic are dealing with their own internal drama as they still haven’t found a permanent manager to replace Brendan Rodgers, with Martin O’Neill currently filling in as caretaker.

“It will be very hard for Celtic to try and prise away at El-Faouzi right now. He’s just won promotion back to the Bundesliga with Schalke and was a key man for them in that as well, with two goals and five assists for the midfielder.

“Schalke’s valuation could be prohibitive for Celtic as well; they’re looking in excess of £10 million for the midfielder, who is under contract until 2029. Schalke are keen to keep hold of El-Faouzi as they prepare for life back in the Bundesliga, and they’ve put that price tag up to scare off any interested clubs. That would make any move to Celtic very difficult for them to do, not just because of the price tag but also because of the competition for his signature.” 

Do Celtic genuinely need El-Faouzi, or does the price tag expose a deeper problem with their recruitment strategy?

PADERBORN, GERMANY – APRIL 26: Soufiane El-Faouzi of FC Schalke 04 runs with the ball during the 2. Bundesliga match between SC Paderborn 07 and FC Schalke 04 at Benteler Arena on April 26, 2026 in Paderborn, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

Celtic definitely need this signing, but the price tag is a bit hard to swallow. Callum McGregor is now 32 with only two years left on his contract; he isn’t a long-term solution for that holding role anymore. The club can’t just coast into the 2026-27 season without a proper successor, and El-Faouzi looks like the right option.

He racked up 95 tackles last season, showing the same defensive grit as McGregor but with a bit more creativity. His ability to drive forward with the ball, averaging nearly a dribble per game, offers something that Reo Hatate, whose form has completely fallen off a cliff lately, just doesn’t provide.

That said, El-Faouzi only has seven career goals, and he hasn’t yet proven he can produce in the final third against top-tier teams. Spending £10 million on a player who hasn’t played in a major European league is a massive gamble. Celtic have to decide if they trust the scouting reports enough to drop a club-record fee on potential rather than a finished product. Honestly, the move is a smart one, but only if they move fast before Premier League sides start bidding and price Celtic out of the move entirely.