Celtic are planning a January transfer move for Lithuanian midfielder Gvidas Gineitis after failing to agree a fee with Torino on deadline day. The Scottish Premiership leaders prepared an offer worth up to £9 million for the 22-year-old, but Torino's valuation was closer to £13 million, according to a report in the Daily Record.
Celtic sit first in the Premiership with 12 points from four wins, scoring 11 goals and conceding just two. They hold a two-point lead over St Mirren. Manager Brendan O'Neill oversaw a busy end to the window, bringing in six new players. Oliver Sorensen and Shim Mheuka made debuts from the bench in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Aberdeen, a result that maintains their perfect start you can track on our standings page.
Why did the Gineitis transfer collapse?
The deal for Gvidas Gineitis fell apart over the transfer fee. Celtic's structured proposal, which could have reached £9 million with add-ons, did not meet Torino's demands. The Italian side had already lined up potential replacements, including Rolando Mandragora from Fiorentina and Daniel Braganca from Sporting Lisbon, anticipating his sale. Their firm stance left no room for negotiation before the deadline passed.
This leaves Celtic's midfield recruitment plans for the winter window clearly defined. The club's intention to return with a fresh bid in January indicates they see Gineitis as a primary target. His age and profile fit the model of development signings the club often pursues.
Who did Celtic sign before the deadline?
Despite missing out on Gineitis, Celtic completed a flurry of late business. They secured goalkeeper Oliver Sorensen on loan from Parma with an option to buy next summer. Chelsea duo Shim Mheuka and Landon Emenalo also arrived on loan, though Emenalo was injured and missed the Aberdeen match.
Defender Jordan Lotomba joined on a 12-month deal from Feyenoord, while experienced goalkeeper Sam Johnstone signed a similar contract from Wolves. The most expensive arrival was defender Joel van den Berg, who cost £3.4 million from PSV Eindhoven. You can view the full roster on our squad page.
How does the Europa League squad look?
Selecting the 25-man squad for the UEFA Europa League group stage presented challenges due to rules on non-homegrown players. Celtic could only name 17 in that category. Recent signings Jordan Lotomba, Sam Johnstone, and Oliver Sorensen made the list, as did summer arrivals Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, Mika Baur, and Haissem Hassan.
Notably, Mheuka, Emenalo, and van den Berg were omitted. Injured defender Alistair Johnston was included with an expected October return, but winger Jota was left out despite being close to fitness. Striker Callum Osmand also made the cut despite a current injury.
Manager O'Neill acknowledged the difficulty of the process. "There are obviously some very tough decisions to be made in putting this squad together for the Europa League," O'Neill said. "It’s a difficult list and, for me, the most important thing is our domestic football."
What did new signing Sorensen say?
Goalkeeper Oliver Sorensen, who was included in the European squad, expressed his immediate desire to join Celtic when he learned of their interest. The Danish shot-stopper is determined to earn a permanent move.
"I heard a few weeks ago that there was interest from Celtic," Sorensen said. "My agent called me and told me it was a possibility. Straight away, I told him, ‘Get this done…I want to go to Celtic’." He stated his ambition is to stay long-term if his performances during the loan spell warrant it.
Celtic's focus now returns to domestic action, where their next fixture is a home match against Hibernian on December 12th. Hibs currently sit seventh in the table. The club's upcoming schedule is available on our fixtures page.
