Borussia Dortmund Eye €20m Celtic Target

Celtic’s hopes of landing Fares Ghedjemis look to have taken another hit, with Borussia Dortmund now reportedly watching the Algerian winger at the World Cup.

The Frosinone attacker was on Celtic’s list during the January window, with the club looking into a deal after he was picked out by the recruitment team. Nothing came of it in the end, and that missed chance may now prove costly.

According to reports in Germany from Fussball Europa, Dortmund are keeping an eye on Ghedjemis during the tournament. That is not what Celtic would want to hear if they still have him in mind for the summer.

The Hoops have tracked the player for a while, but his situation has changed since the winter. He stayed at Frosinone, continued to build his reputation, and is now involved with Algeria on one of the biggest stages in football.

Dortmund watching him does not mean a deal is certain, but it does show where the market is heading.

Celtic can offer a strong platform, especially if Martin O’Neill’s side reach the Champions League proper, but Dortmund are a major pull for young attacking players. They have a long record of giving talented forwards a stage and selling them on for huge money.

There is also interest from Serie A and Ligue 1, which makes the picture even more difficult. Ghedjemis may have options in Italy, France and Germany before Celtic even get back to the table.

A player who was within reach for less than €8m a few months ago is now being spoken about closer to the €20m mark, with that figure only likely to climb if his World Cup goes well. Dortmund can treat that kind of fee as normal business. For Celtic, it would mean moving into territory the club has never seriously pushed before.

That is the problem when a January move falls through. A player who looked gettable can quickly move out of reach once other clubs start circling.

Ghedjemis fits the kind of profile Celtic have often chased. He is quick, direct, comfortable out wide, and still has room to improve.

But the timing now looks awkward. His World Cup involvement with Algeria gives him a chance to impress a wider audience, and that usually means one thing in the transfer market: a bigger price and more competition.

Celtic need wide players this summer, particularly with Martin O’Neill looking to reshape the squad. The club cannot afford to spend weeks chasing deals that are slipping away.

There may still be interest from the Hoops, but Dortmund watching Ghedjemis feels like a warning sign. Celtic had a chance to move for him in January. Now, they may find themselves in a race that has become much harder to win.