Fyodor Smolov was linked with a move to West Ham last month.
Celtic midfielder Kouassi Eboue has told Russian outlet IZ he does not understand why former Krasnodar teammate Fyodor Smolov is “not in London” after being linked to West Ham Unite din the January transfer window.
Young midfielder Eboue played with the Krasnodar captain before moving to Celtic in January 2017 for a fee believed to be £3million fee, and is now set to feature in the Hoops’ Europa League clash against Zenit St. Petersburg on Thursday night.
Sky Sports reported back in January that 28-year-old Smolov was in talks with the east Londoners over a move to the London Stadium before the deadline, but a move failed to materialise with the Hammers refusing to pay a £12m fee.
Celtic’s number 88 stated that he cannot understand why Russia international Smolov did not move to London in January, with West Ham touted to be the main suitors.
“For me, Fedor is a very, very good player,” Eboue said. “I do not understand why he’s not in London yet. I hope next season he will play in England.”
Smolov was linked to the Hammers after scoring 10 goals in 15 games this season for top-tier outfit Krasnodar, with the Russian centre-forward yet to make a move to one of Europe’s top five leagues.
He has less than 18 months remaining on his current contract with the Russian side and is likely to become a transfer target for European clubs in the summer.
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