Schalke’s sporting director has confirmed that the Bundesliga.2 champions called off talks to sign Christopher Jullien from Scottish Premiership giants Celtic, speaking to Sky Germany.
On Wednesday morning, Jullien appeared to have one foot and several toes out of the exit door at Parkhead.
The giant defender underwent a medical ahead of a cut-price move to the Veltins Arena. Fabrizio Romano – the man whose Tweets are almost scripture these days – even uttered those immortal words; ‘Done deal’.
There was considerable surprise, then, when Sport1 broke the news that Jullien’s move to the banks of the Ruhr had fallen through at the eleventh hour. What’s more, it does not appear to be connected to the knee injury that kept him out of action for 12 whole months.
Instead, it seems there was an issue with the contract. One that, for whatever reason, could not be overcome as talks between Schroder and Jullien’s representatives stalled like a rusty Vauxhall Nova stuck in a lay-by.
Celtic’s Christopher Jullien misses out on Schalke switch
“There are moments when we have to say ‘no’,” explains the always-uncompromising Schroder, translated by Ruhr24.
“It carries on. Christopher is back training at Celtic. A great player. We’ll continue working here. Let’s see what happens.”
Fortunately, Jullien still has admirers back home in his native France, per The Sun, with Celtic willing to listen to offers in the region of £1.5 million. The former Toulouse stopper played just 16 minutes of football under Ange Postecoglou last term. That is despite Jullien’s insistence that he has been ‘100 per cent’ fit since the turn of the year.
Jullien will fall even further down the pecking order if Celtic achieve their ambition of bringing in a new ball-playing centre-half. Preferably a left-footed one.
Ahmed Touba slipped through the Hoops’ fingers this week, joining Istanbul Basaksehir for £1.7 million. Liverpool misfit Ben Davies remains an active target however.
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