Albert Gudmundsson arrived for a medical at Genoa on deadline day with the reported Celtic and Rangers target swapping the Eredivisie for Serie A, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
Since the start of last summer, AZ Alkmaar have lost their talismanic captain Teun Koopmeiners, their most reliable striker Myron Boadu, their creative kingpin Calvin Stengs, their long-serving right-back Jonas Svensson and their number one goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
Now, it’s Gudmundsson turn to bid farewell to life at the AFAS Stadium.
The Telegraph reported before Christmas that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers and Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic were keen on the 24-year-old.
A versatile, lively if somewhat frustrating frontman – Gudmundsson’s penchant for a sitter spurned could make him the centrepiece of any stocking filler Gaffes DVD – the Iceland international did still score 11 goals last season.
He has another six to his name this term.
Gudmundsson was due to become a free-agent in July.
And AZ director Max Huiberts admitted a few weeks ago that the former Heerenveen youngster had little interest in signing an extension at a club who might have become Eredivisie champions in 2020 if the COVID-19 pandemic had not reared it’s ugly head.
Did Celtic or Rangers even need Albert Gudmundsson?
Rather than risk losing another key player on a free transfer, however, AZ are allowing Gudmundsson to join relegation-threatened Genoa on deadline day instead.
The Serie A strugglers, who sacked Ballon D’Or-winner-turned-manager Andriy Shevchenko after just 11 games in charge recently, will pay a cut-price fee of £1 million (Sky).
It is not certain how serious the interest was from Celtic or Rangers. The reigning Premiership champions filled a gap in Van Bronckhorst’s frontline with Manchester United wonderkid Amad Diallo last month.
Postecoglou, meanwhile, returned to a familiar hunting ground for the J-League’s Golden Boot winner Daizen Maeda.
The Japan international opened his account just four minutes into his debut in the 2-0 victory over Hibernian. Matt O’Riley, meanwhile, arrived from MK Dons, alongside Johnny Kenny, Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate.
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