Bologna defender Aaron Hickey has admitted that he was ‘excited’ to hear that Celtic were interested – but a move just wasn’t right for him.
The young full back had impressed with Hearts, but their relegation from the top flight made a move away inevitable.
Bologna completed a £1.5million deal in September, and he has made 11 Serie A appearances this season in a decent campaign.
Now, the Scot has admitted to The Herald that Celtic did make an offer to sign him, despite letting Hickey leave the club in 2018 after four years with the Bhoys.
Hickey noted that he is a Celtic fan and was excited by their interest, but the move wasn’t right for him at the time – and he can’t rule out heading there in the future.
“Celtic came in a lot and I was excited and happy about it,” said Hickey. “I don’t know if it was the right option for me, though, because of the deal or something.”
“I’m a Celtic supporter and it was massive for me, but I just didn’t think it was the right time to go there. I wouldn’t ever rule it out down the line, who knows,” he added.
Celtic thought they had pulled off an ideal summer window in 2020, but their recruitment ended up being their downfall.
The Bhoys landed five internationals in Vasilis Barkas, Shane Duffy, Diego Laxalt and Albian Ajeti, with Mohamed Elyounoussi returning on loan.
Barkas, Duffy and Ajeti have struggled and Laxalt has blown hot and cold whilst David Turnbull has arguably been their one shining light.
They may have wished they had managed to get Hickey signed up alongside Turnbull as stars of the future, but if they want to lure him back to Parkhead, they may need to wait.
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