Celtic called off negotiations to sign Valentin Rosier from Sporting Lisbon because the £6 million right-back is desperate to join Turkish giants Besiktas instead, as reported by Sabah.
After enjoying the best season of his career during a loan spell in Istanbul – contributing seven assists and three goals as Besiktas sealed the league and cup double – Rosier has never hid his desire to turn that short-term deal into a permanent transfer.
And it seems he’s in luck.
An agreement is potentially just days away now, with Sporting Lisbon agreeing to accept Besiktas’s offer for a defender valued somewhere in the region of £6 million.
The report adds that Celtic had held talks with Rosier themselves, but brought an end to negotiations once it became clear that trying to lure the 24-year-old to Parkhead was highly unlikely.
George Baldock, not Valentin Rosier, for Celtic?
And it’s not as if Celtic will be left particularly heartbroken, having fluttered their eyelashes in the direction of another talented right-back – one who looks far better suited to Ange Postecoglou’s demands.
According to The Star, the new Hoops boss wants to rip up the blueprint and build from the ground up at Celtic, with proven, British-based players set to form the foundations of a new-look side.
George Baldock, the Buckinghamshire-born Sheffield United ace, is one of his top targets.
There is a growing belief that a deal can be done, too, with Celtic closer than ever to sealing the signature of a man they have admired since all the way back in 2020.
Baldock was too expensive back then. Now, he’s one year older and has just 12 months left on his contract.
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