Celtic’s pursuit of Norwegian winger Sondre Ørjasæter hit a stumbling block on Thursday, with Sarpsborg 08 rejecting an initial £4.4m bid for the highly-rated attacker.
The 21-year-old winger impressed in the 2024 Eliteserien season, making 30 appearances, scoring six goals, and providing five assists for a Sarpsborg side that finished 12th in Norway’s top flight.
Celtic’s interest in Ørjasæter has been well-documented, but Sarpsborg are said to be holding out for £7m and are reluctant to sell this month, regardless of the price.
Speaking on Ørjasæter’s situation, Sarpsborg sporting director Hampus Andersson confirmed that more offers are expected in the coming days.
“We expect offers for Sondre to come in the next few days, which we will have to make a serious assessment of.” [Eirik Nesset Hjelvik]
While Sarpsborg are keen to resist bids this window, Celtic remain in talks as they look to strike a deal before Monday’s transfer deadline.
With the January window closing soon, Celtic will have to decide whether to meet Sarpsborg’s valuation or look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements.
The Hoops have already brought Jota back to the club and are still active in the market, with Luis Palma set to leave on loan to Olympiacos. Ørjasæter is seen as a long-term option for Celtic’s attack, but whether a compromise can be reached remains to be seen.
For now, negotiations continue, and Celtic will need to act fast if they want to secure the Norwegian winger before the window shuts.
