Celtic officially confirmed on Saturday that central midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has put pen to paper on a new one-year contract with the club.
The former England international had become a free agent at the start of the month after his initial deal expired, but Martin O’Neill has moved to keep him in the squad for another season.
Whilst Oxlade-Chamberlain is staying at Parkhead, another central midfielder in the squad could be on his way out of the Scottish Premiership champions in the coming weeks.
Sunderland are pursuing a deal to sign Arne Engels from the Glasgow giants, whilst fellow Premier League teams Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are also keen.
It is now down to those English sides to pay the asking price to convince the Hoops to part ways with a player they paid a club-record fee of £11m to Augsburg for in 2024.
Celtic considering club-record deal for new midfielder
The Belgium international has scored 17 goals, including one in the SFA Cup final against Dunfermline last month, in 98 appearances for the club to date, whilst also providing 21 assists.
Engels has been an undoubted success, given both his form on the pitch and the interest he has in his services, and the club are now looking at a player who could follow in his footsteps.
According to La Stampa, via Tutto Mercato Web, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Torino central midfielder Gvidas Gineitis in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Scottish giants are eyeing up a swoop for the 22-year-old talent and could make a move for him if they sell Engels in the coming weeks.
It adds that the Serie A side would be willing to part ways with the midfielder for a fee of £13m, which would eclipse the club-record fee of £11m that the Hoops paid for Engels.
La Stampa explains that Torino are aiming to raise around £43m in funds to go back into the market to bolster their squad, and that has opened the door for a potential deal for Gineitis if Celtic are willing to splash the cash.
How Gvidas Gineitis can be Celtic’s next Arne Engels
The obvious comparison between Gineitis and Engels is that they would both be club-record signing central midfielders for the Scottish giants, but it goes even deeper than that.
The Belgian star had become a first-team regular at Augsburg in the previous two campaigns in the Bundesliga, gaining a lot of experience in one of Europe’s major leagues, before his move to Parkhead.
Gineitis would arrive at the club with a similar level of experience under his belt after emerging as a first-team regular for Torino in the Italian top-flight in the past two seasons.
|
Gineitis (Serie A) |
24/25 |
25/26 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
30 |
29 |
|
Starts |
15 |
23 |
|
Goals |
3 |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
5 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
1.4 |
2.4 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
52% |
56% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
44% |
51% |
The 22-year-old star’s progression is clear to see across the past two Serie A campaigns, as he averaged more defensive interventions and won a higher percentage of his duels on the ground and in the air in the second term.
His improved defensive statistics show that he learned from his experiences in the 2024/25 campaign and adapted to be more effective out of possession last season, which shows that he is able to adapt and improve.
Gineitis has also caught the eye on the international stage with Lithuania, racking up 32 caps and five goals by the age of 22, and was described as the “future icon of Lithuanian football” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
In Lithuania’s World Cup qualifying campaign, the £13m-rated star scored three goals and created 13 chances for his teammates in eight appearances, showing that he can make an impact at the top end of the pitch as well as defensively.
His defensive quality was still on display in those matches, though, as he averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game and won 53% of his total duels in the middle of the park.
Gineitis’ performances for both Torino and Lithuania suggest that he has the quality and the potential to be an excellent addition to the Celtic squad for O’Neill, as he looks primed for a breakout campaign in the same way that Engels was when he left Augsburg.
That is why the Scottish giants should break their transfer record once again for a new midfielder, if they cash in on the Belgium international before the end of the window.
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