Fares Ghedjemis has spoken about his decision to turn down a move away from Frosinone after months of transfer interest that included Celtic during the season.
The winger was strongly linked with Parkhead during the January window as Celtic looked for more pace and direct attacking play in wide areas. Reports in both Italy and Scotland suggested talks had moved forward, with Frosinone asking for a large fee for one of their key attacking players.
In the end, Ghedjemis decided to stay.
Looking back now, it has worked out well for both him and the club. Frosinone secured promotion back to Serie A and the winger’s reputation has continued growing after a strong second half of the season.
Celtic’s interest was easy to understand at the time.
Ghedjemis suits the kind of winger the club have been trying to add. He is left-footed, very quick and likes running directly at defenders rather than slowing moves down. Celtic did not always have that during parts of the campaign, especially when injuries affected the forward areas.
But the player clearly felt he still had something to finish in Italy.
Instead of leaving halfway through a promotion race, he stayed with the squad that had battled through a difficult season together. Promotion back to Serie A now changes everything around his future and probably raises both his price and the level of clubs looking at him this summer.
Ghedjemis spoke about the decision while reflecting on the atmosphere around the club.
He said: (Ciociariaoggi), “Absolutely (the atmosphere at Frosinone). That’s also why I didn’t leave in the summer.
“I could have, but I felt an energy that made me want to stay. And I’m happy with my choice.
“I’m proud and happy. We worked so hard, and I’m truly happy to have brought Frosinone back to where the club deserves to be: in Italy’s top flight.”
The timing of those comments stands out because Celtic are still expected to make changes in attacking areas this summer.
Daizen Maeda has carried a huge load recently, while Yang Hyun-jun’s form has improved a lot during the run-in. Still, Celtic are likely to keep looking for more quality and consistency out wide before next season begins.
Whether that means looking again at Ghedjemis is unclear.
What does seem obvious now is that any deal would probably be tougher than it was in January. Promotion has strengthened Frosinone’s position and gives the player a chance to prove himself in Serie A after helping the club get there.
