Celtic's Lean Move for Haissem Hassan

Celtic’s move for Haissem Hassan looks a lot leaner on the balance sheet than many expected.

The Egypt international finally arrived from Real Oviedo this week after a long, stop-start saga, with early summer reports in Spain and Scotland throwing around figures close to £9 million. That number now looks inflated.

A detailed breakdown from Spanish outlet La Voz de Asturias claims Celtic’s guaranteed outlay sits at around €5.5m as an initial fee. On top of that, Oviedo could earn up to another €2m in performance-related bonuses, taking the potential total package towards €7.5m if every clause is met.

So the headline number only comes into play if Hassan delivers.

There is more nuance in the small print. Oviedo are said to have secured a 20 per cent sell-on clause, but only on any profit Celtic make from a future transfer, not on the full sale price. If Celtic buy at €5.5m and later sell for, say, €10m, Oviedo’s cut would be calculated on the €4.5m profit rather than the €10m fee.

Even then, the Spanish club will not keep all of the money flowing in from Glasgow. Villarreal, who sold Hassan to Oviedo in 2024 for around €700,000, reportedly hold a right to 40 per cent of Oviedo’s profit on this deal.

On the figures quoted, a €5.5m initial payment from Celtic would leave Oviedo with a profit of roughly €4.8m before Villarreal take their slice. That goes a long way to explaining reports in Spain that Oviedo’s immediate gain will sit at around €3.6m once Villarreal’s share is accounted for.

From Celtic’s perspective, the key takeaway is clear: the guaranteed spend appears significantly lower than the £9m figure that hovered over the transfer for much of the summer. The structure shifts the risk. Any extra cash heading to Oviedo depends on Hassan hitting the performance triggers, and the sell-on clause only bites if his value rises and Celtic eventually cash in.

The Scottish champions have not released any official numbers, so all figures remain unconfirmed. But if the Spanish reporting is accurate, Celtic have landed a highly rated winger on terms that leave plenty of upside on the pitch – and on the books – if Hassan justifies the long chase.