Sebastian Tounekti may have shone on his debut against Kilmarnock, but journalist Michael Gannon has claimed Celtic could have secured the winger’s signing a full month earlier.
The 23-year-old deadline-day arrival from Hammarby cost Celtic around £5m and immediately impressed with a man-of-the-match performance at Rugby Park. But his transfer saga dragged on throughout August, with fears the move would collapse altogether before a late breakthrough.
Speaking on Record Sport’s Hotline Live, Gannon suggested Celtic’s recruitment team were slow to act.
“These guys should have been in the door early,” he said. “I mean Tounekti, for five million quid, they could have had him a month earlier. Never happened.”
Tounekti himself revealed this week that Hammarby were reluctant to let him go while in the middle of their title push, but he admitted he had made clear to his coach and agent that Celtic was his “only choice” if he was to leave.
The criticism comes amid growing pressure on the Celtic board, with fans furious over what they see as a lack of planning in the transfer market. Brendan Rodgers has also been outspoken, insisting that players needed to arrive earlier in the summer to prepare for Champions League qualifiers – a demand the club once again failed to meet.
Tounekti’s arrival offers hope that Celtic have unearthed a genuine attacking threat. But questions remain over why the signing was left to the final hours of the window, when, as Gannon argues, the deal could have been concluded far sooner.
When George Cadette came tae Celtic tha Sfa withheld his registration, even though he had signed and was a Celtic player. He couldn’t be paraded/or played at Paradise for over ten days.
He also hit tha grun runnin, and became a noted hunscelper.
Tha first or many.
Cfc Plc (god bless’em) always seem tae pick up a bargain or three.
And then sell them on, leavin tha support destitute yet again.
This wholesale ‘Buy, Sell at a large profit’ and leave tha squad thin must change
We all accept Cfc Plc is a for profit only club (with a charity side hustle noo)
Doesn’t leave tha management much wiggle room fur successes other than in Scotland though.
A nice balance, would be worth it’s weight in more season card holders.
And more wise collectivity of season card holder shares, intae one large collective bunch.
Anybody oot there thinkin similar should act noo.