UAE outfit Shabab Al Ahli will let Celtic target Mehdi Ghayedi leave the club in the summer transfer window with Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou a fan of the Iran international, as reported by Imna.
Surely, at this stage, Postecoglou deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Ghayedi is far from a household name on the streets of Glasgow. But, then again, neither were Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate or Liel Abada.
All four of the aforementioned players moved to Celtic from clubs outside of Europe and continue to prove that there is value to be found in the wider footballing world if you’re willing to take a punt.
Ghayedi, however, would be arriving at Parkhead with a point to prove.
The diminutive playmaker has scored just five goals and set up three more in 20 games since joining Shabab Al Ahli from Egyptian outfit Esteghlal last year.
Should Celtic take a punt on Mehdi Ghayedi?
“Given what has happened so far, there is no doubt that we should consider Mehdi Ghayedi in the UAE a failure,” one Middle Eastern-based publication wrote over the weekend.
“We hope that these offers will not be just media speculation. And that Mehdi, with all his talent and his youth, will go to a European team.
“What is worrying, however, is that his current trend is showing a significant decline.”
It remains to be whether Celtic would be willing to renew their interest in a man who’s performances have left a lot to be desired of late. The Hoops made a number of approaches during the January window.
They were even willing to pay in excess of £3.5 million.
Shabab Al Ahli blocked the move at the time, unwilling to part with a key player in the midst of a gruelling title battle.
But with Imna now reporting that Ghayedi is free to leave, it’s tempting to wonder whether Al Ahli have simply given up and accepted defeat. Are they hoping to cash in before the 23-year-old’s reputation plummets any further.
The question now is not whether Celtic could sign Ghayedi but whether they should.
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