Mohanad Jeahze believes he will stay at Hammarby now after Scottish Premiership champions Celtic turned their attention to Alexandro Bernabei instead, speaking to Aftonbladet.
With a new left-back right at the top of Ange Postecoglou’s to-do list, speculation linking Jeahze with the Glasgow giants has raged throughout the summer.
The Scottish Sun reported back in May that Celtic were set to make the £2 million-rated Iran international their first signing of the summer. And, while Jeahze was reluctant to give too much away when quizzed about the rumours, the 25-year-old did describe Celtic – with some justification – as a ‘big club’.
But with the Hoops now agreeing a deal to bring in Bernabei from Lanus for around £3.75 million, per STV, a window of opportunity appears to have slammed shut on Jeahze’s fingers.
“I think I will stay in Hammarby,” the Sweden-born defender explains. “I have a contract for another year. I’m fully set on that now.
“You simply have to accept it. (The offers) may not have been enough for (Hammarby).”
Mohanaed Jeahze to miss out on Celtic transfer
Jeahze is not too disappointed at missing out on a potentially life-changing transfer, however. As he himself points out, Hammarby are just three points off the top of the Allsvenskan table.
“It would have been a different matter if we were in the middle (of the table),” Jeahze adds. “Now, there are no problems.
“I have patience. Maybe something else will come this summer. It is clear that I want to go abroad at some point. Everyone has a dream of trying something new.”
Celtic also expressed an interest in another Sweden-based full-back in AIK Stockholm’s Erick Otieno. Jeahze came closer than any of the club’s other targets to signing on the dotted line, however, with The Athletic reporting that the talks between Celtic and Hammarby stalled late on in negotiations.
Bernabei could now become a Celtic player as early as this week.
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