Celtic Pursue World Cup Winger Haissem Hassan Amid Transfer Concerns

Celtic have finally made a move.

Sky Sports have confirmed the club have lodged an official enquiry for Real Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan, the Egypt international who caught the eye at the 2026 World Cup. At 24, with a year left on his contract, he fits the profile Celtic’s recruitment department has leaned on for years: talent, upside, and a potential bargain if the numbers fall their way.

On the surface, it looks like a step forward. Scratch a little deeper and it underlines a familiar problem.

A World Cup spark in a sluggish summer

Hassan’s performances in the World Cup put him on plenty of shortlists. Quick, direct, and comfortable carrying the ball under pressure, he was one of Egypt’s brighter attacking outlets in the United States, his displays in the Round of 32 only heightening interest from across Europe.

Celtic have been heavily linked with him in recent weeks, with reports suggesting Martin O’Neill wants the winger as a key part of his reshaped forward line next season. The enquiry, revealed by Scottish journalist Anthony Joseph, confirms that interest has finally moved beyond background noise.

“The Hoops are keen to bring the Egypt international to Glasgow after an impressive display at the World Cup and they’re exploring the conditions of a potential deal. Hassan, 24, has one year left on his contract,” Joseph reported.

So the wheels are turning. Slowly.

O’Neill’s surgery, the board’s caution

O’Neill has been clear: this squad needs major surgery. Celtic’s title win in May was dramatic, emotional, and draining, but it also masked structural issues that have not been properly addressed.

Two of the central figures in that comeback, Kelechi Iheanacho and Marcelo Saracchi, were at the top of the manager’s retention list. He wanted both tied down early, made it known to CEO Michael Nicholson and CFO Chris McKay, and saw them as pillars for the rebuild.

Instead, negotiations stalled. Offers were described as lowball. Neither deal was done. Both players walked away.

The message was brutal. The manager’s wishes came second to the balance sheet. With limited resale value attached to Iheanacho and Saracchi, the hierarchy chose prudence over continuity. O’Neill, once again, was left exposed.

To compound it, briefings emerged suggesting Iheanacho’s wage demands were excessive. That narrative did not last long. Updates from Turkey pushed back on the claims, casting the episode as another messy chapter in a window Celtic could ill afford to mishandle.

Maeda talks and a growing sense of risk

Now, as Celtic try to bring Hassan in, they are also locked in talks over the possible departure of Daizen Maeda, with Ipswich Town officially at the table.

Maeda has been a relentless presence in green and white, a forward who presses, harasses, and stretches defences. Losing him while still scrambling to add quality would be a significant blow, tactically and psychologically.

Yet this is the pattern. The club’s refusal to commit to meaningful signings before trimming the wage bill has become more than a quirk of policy. It is starting to look like a competitive handicap.

The UEFA Champions League play-off looms again. The stakes are obvious. The financial rewards are vast. The sporting test is unforgiving. And still, Celtic drift through another summer with the same old hesitations.

Warnings ignored

Last season, Celtic flirted with disaster and escaped. This time, many inside and outside the club are not convinced they will be so lucky.

Former captain Paul Lambert has already sounded the alarm, joining a chorus of voices warning that the club cannot continue to dither and expect the same outcome. The squad is now without Iheanacho, Saracchi and, potentially, Maeda. The margin for error shrinks with every departure.

The charge sheet is familiar: feet-dragging, dithering, delaying. Each cautious step in the boardroom increases the risk on the pitch. Every week without reinforcements is another session where O’Neill works with a group he knows is short.

Hassan, on paper, is exactly the sort of player who could energise this team. A World Cup winger, entering his prime, with the confidence that comes from shining on the biggest stage. Yet Celtic are still only at the enquiry stage, still “exploring conditions”, still talking while others act.

Maintenance mode at a dangerous moment

The mood around the club is telling. Supporters are no longer dreaming of bold, ambitious windows. They are talking about “maintenance” – simply holding the line, avoiding regression, hoping the squad is not weakened beyond repair before a ball is kicked in Europe.

That is where Hassan’s name drops into the narrative. Not as the symbol of a daring new era, but as a necessary move to stop the slide from becoming a fall.

If Celtic can push this deal over the line quickly, it would at least send a signal that the club understands the urgency of the moment. If they cannot, if Hassan becomes another story of interest without action, the questions around ambition and direction will only grow louder.

The enquiry has been made. The clock, once again, is ticking.