Report: Celtic to miss out on signing £35k-a-week colossus, Postecoglou was very keen

Follow us on Google Discover

Celtic are set to miss out on the summer transfer of Mat Ryan with the Brighton goalkeeper in San Sebastian ahead of sealing a move to Real Sociedad, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Ryan flew into Spain on Sunday from his holiday in Los Angeles to sign the necessary paperwork. And the La Liga outfit could confirm his arrival as soon as Monday, before immediately joining Imanol Alguacil’s squad for pre-season and their upcoming friendlies.

Real Sociedad will pay Brighton no more than €1.1m (£950k) for Ryan to become their first signing of the summer. The Australia international will rival Alex Remiro for the number one jersey at the Anoeta Stadium.

Ryan completed his Real Sociedad medical while still in America, in a blow to Celtic and head coach Ange Postecoglou. The Scottish Sun noted the Greek manager wanted the shot-stopper at Parkhead, having worked with him with the Socceroos.

But Real Sociedad moved quickly to beat Celtic to Ryan, as they believe his physical strength, agility and experience make him a formidable option in goal. He’s also solid on the ground, which is key for Alguacil, who likes the Txuri-Urdin to play the ball out.

Ryan will now sign a two-year contract with Real Sociedad that features an option for a third. The 29-year-old, who Sky Sports claim Arsenal and clubs in France had also explored signing, had entered the last year of his £35,000-per-week deal with Brighton.

Ryan to Real Sociedad will leave Postecoglou searching for a goalkeeper at Celtic

Ryan joining Real Sociedad for under £1m will likely leave Postecoglou looking for an alternative for Celtic to sign. The Hoops boss wanted to bring the Australian to Parkhead after his Arsenal loan, but looks set to miss out.

Charlie Nicholas also told the Express that Postecoglou needs a new goalkeeper as Vasilis Barkas ‘is not the answer’. The 27-year-old failed to lock down the number one role following his arrival in Glasgow, and neither did Scott Bain.

Barkas started 15 Premiership games after joining from AEK Athens in July 2020, while Bain opened 18. But neither showed consistently high levels to their performances. Barkas also conceded 10 goals in seven games, while Bain allowed 18 goals in 11 games.