Haissem Hassan’s situation at Real Oviedo is now one to keep an eye on from a Celtic point of view, with fresh reports in Spain claiming the Hoops have made a move for the winger.
The 23-year-old caught attention with his World Cup display for Egypt against Argentina, where he set up a goal and caused problems from the wide areas.
That performance looks to have added to the interest already around him this summer.
Fondo Segunda claim Celtic have made an offer worth around €4million for Hassan. The same report says Real Oviedo would only receive around €2.4million from that fee because of the financial terms attached to the player.
Villarreal are understood to be due 40% of any future transfer fee, meaning Oviedo would not get the full amount if Hassan leaves.
That could make a Celtic offer harder for the Spanish club to accept, even if the overall figure looks fair for a player with two years left on his deal.
COPE have also reported on the growing interest in Hassan and say Oviedo are currently pointing clubs towards his release clause.
That clause was understood to be around £16million while Oviedo were in La Liga, but reports in Spain suggest it has dropped to around £10million after relegation.
Even at the lower figure, that would still be a big fee for Celtic, especially with Hassan reportedly having only one year left on his current deal.
It does not mean Oviedo will demand the full clause, but it does show they are unlikely to let Hassan go cheaply.
His numbers for Oviedo last season were not huge. He did not score in the league and finished with three assists from 38 appearances.
But those figures do not fully explain the type of player he is.
Hassan is a direct winger who likes to run at defenders, carry the ball and create space in wide areas. That is where much of his value comes from.
That kind of profile would make sense for Celtic if Martin O’Neill wants another player who can stretch teams and give the attack more pace.
There is also said to be interest in Hassan from Saudi Arabia, although no formal offer has arrived from there so far.
For now, this should still be treated as a report from Spain rather than a confirmed Celtic bid.
Fondo Segunda claim Celtic have made their move, while COPE’s reporting suggests Oviedo’s valuation and Villarreal’s cut could make the deal difficult.
If Celtic want to take this any further, they may need to go higher than the reported €4million offer.
