Celtic know how it feels to go into the final week of the window with uncertainty hanging over the heads of their star players.
The race to sign Matt O’Riley – Brighton and Hove Albion and Atalanta appear to be leading things as things stand – continues to rumble on.
And with their reigning Player of the Year potentially on his way, Brendan Rodgers could have done without interest emerging in Celtic’s most reliable goalscorer too.
HITC understands that Manchester City, after selling Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for £82 million, have identified Kyogo Furuhashi as a potential replacement. City’s scouts have returned glowing reports about the prolific Japan international.
Celtic face Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi battle
Swedish outfit Hammarby find themselves in a similar boat.
Deniz Gul, their highly-talented, Stockholm-born forward, is on the radar of Portuguese giants FC Porto. Jusef Erabi has been linked with a Leeds United side with money to burn after the departures of Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and £40 million man Georginio Rutter.
Bazoumana Toure, meanwhile, has been watched by Crystal Palace, Eintracht Frankfurt and German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
According to Swedish publication Fotboll Direkt, Celtic scouted Toure themselves during Hammarby’s 2-0 win away at Brommapojkarna in July.
The teenager has six goals and three assists from 13 appearances this season, lashing a fierce shot into the roof of the net in front of the watchful eye of those Hoops talentspotters.
Hammarby sporting director Mikael Hjelmberg has wasted no time setting out his stall, however. He insists that Toure is not for sale. And even if he was, any club looking to sign the 18-year-old would have to stump up a fee in the region of £7 million.
Hjelmberg was contacted again by Fotbollskanalen this week. And while all three of his prized assets have ambitions of playing at a higher level, Hammarby remain determined to retain the trio.
“There are only a few days left before the window closes. There is extra talk and extra activity. That’s how it usually is before the window closes,” Hjelmberg admits.
“What I can say is that we have snubbed bids for players in our attack line. It has been written about Gul, Jusef Erabi and Bazoumana Toure, and there have been bids for them that we have turned down.
“I like to avoid saying who or whom there have been concrete offers for. But offers have come and we have declined. I don’t know if the clubs want to come back with new bids, or if they choose to pack up and do something else.
“All three have expressed that they have ambitions to play in bigger clubs than Hammarby,” Hjelmberg adds. “It is completely natural. I understand that the players have dreams and these are young and good players who probably won’t be at Hammarby for the rest of their careers.
“I have full respect for the players having dreams and ambitions.”
Hammarby starlet Bazoumana Toure is on the Hoops radar
The comments Toure made to Football STHLM on Wednesday will be music to Hjelmberg’s ears.
A move to Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen or Celtic can wait, says the Under 20 Ivory Coast international.
“Best that I stay the rest of the year,” Toure says, insisting that he has no plans to leave in the middle of the Allsvenskan campaign.
Come the end of 2024 – when the season is over in Sweden and the winter market is on the horizon – it will be interesting to see what Toure has to say then.
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