Ferencvaros CEO Pal Orosz insists that Aissa Laidouni should only leave the Hungarian champions for a ‘prestigious’ club as Celtic look to lure Tunisia’s World Cup star to Parkhead, speaking to Sport Radio.
You can see where Orosz is coming from.
Should Laidouni secure himself a move up the footballing ladder after impressing at the Qatar World Cup, that can only be a boost to Ferencvaros’ reputation. Laidouni, two years after arriving from Romanian outfit Voluntari, has won three trophies, was named Hungary’s Player of the Year for 2021, and established himself as a key player for the Tunisian national team.
Should Laidouni now earn himself a move to Celtic, Ferencvaros will be able to point to him and his remarkable progress when trying to sign other up-and-coming talents in the future, as if to say; ‘look what you can achieve if you sign for us!’.
Celtic are looking at Tunisia’s World Cup ace Aissa Laidouni
“You can also take a step forward here. And it is also important that, if you are going to go, you should be able to go to a place that is prestigious. This way, the players see that there is an opportunity to progress (at Ferencvaros),” explains Orosz.
Laidouni, a deep-lying central midfielder with an eye for goal, featured in every one of Tunisia’s games in the World Cup group-stage, starring in the 1-0 group-stage victory over an admittedly-much-changed France side.
According to FootMercato, the 26-year-old is valued at around £3.5 million amid interest from Celtic.
Ferencvaros president Gabor Kubatov last week admitted that he is ‘open to negotiations’. Orosz, meanwhile, is hoping for a substantial fee. One that could see Laidouni replace former Everton ace Mo Besic as the most expensive export in Ferencvaros’ history.
“A player of this quality has a higher price,” the CEO adds. “And it is also important for the club to have a transfer that already belongs to a higher category than the previous ones.
“If we were talking about a sum of around 10 million euros, then it is a bit of an exaggeration to be indifferent (to it).”
Celtic nine points clear
Celtic beat Aberdeen 1-0 in their first game back after the World Cup break this weekend. Callum McGregor scored a brilliant 87th minute winner at Pittodrie; extending the Hoops’ lead over Old Firm rivals Rangers to nine points.
“The players were very committed, very organised,” sighed Dons coach Jim Goodwin. “They put a lot into the game defensively. We thought we might keep a clean sheet. Which no team has managed to do against Celtic in the league this season.
“They are the best team in the country. They score a lot of goals. And we knew we had to be at our best defensively. But the goal that comes three minutes from the end is a fantastic strike. And it needed to be to unlock our defence.”
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