£12 million defender Amir Rrahmani has admitted he turned down Celtic to join Serie A giants Napoli in the January transfer window, as reported by Gonfialarete.
How the Hoops could do with a commanding central defender like Rrahmani right now.
During Celtic’s recent miserable run of one win in seven games, Neil Lennon’s increasingly abject side conceded a remarkable 13 goals including four at home to a second-string Sparta Prague side decimated by injury and illness.
Shane Duffy realised a boyhood dream when joining Celtic in the summer but the Irishman’s days in Paradise have quickly turned into disaster following performances riddled with high-profile errors.
£7 million Christopher Jullien, meanwhile, continues to struggle with injury.
So Rrahmani’s comments feel like a classic case of rubbing salt into the wounds.
“Napoli invested a lot in me,” the Kosovo international explains.
“They had a strategy to sell (Kalidou) Koulibaly but then the situation changed. I was told I remain an important element for the team and my time will come soon.
“I had offers from Celtic and Standard Liege but in the end I chose to sign with Napoli. This is the most important step in my career.”
Gennaro Gattuso’s side paid £12 million to sign Rrahmani from Hellas Verona – the Italian club that appears to have a knack of producing top-quality defensive talent.
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