How Celtic can make more an even more exciting signing than Haissem Hassan

Celtic are closing in on a big transfer to add another forward option to Martin O’Neill‘s ranks before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

The Hoops have reached an agreement in principle over a deal to bring winger Haissem Hassan to Parkhead for an initial fee of £6m, with a further £3m in add-ons.

He is now set to undergo his medical and complete the rest of the formalities over the coming days before being officially unveiled as their latest signing.

Once he joins up with his new teammates, it will be down to the Egypt international to prove that he is worth the money that the club are set to shell out for his services.

The Sebastian Tounekti concern with Haissem Hassan

A concern with the signing of Hassan is that he could end up being a repeat of Sebastian Tounekti, who is still yet to show consistency in his play after 12 months at Parkhead.

The Tunisian winger joined from Hammarby for around £5m last year, after only scoring three goals in 21 Allsvenskan games in 2025, and flattered to deceive for Celtic after a flashy debut against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

Tounekti ended the Premiership campaign with a return of just two goals and two assists in 27 appearances in the division, which has left him sat on the bench as a depth option at the start of this season.

Hassan’s form over the past two seasons for Real Oviedo suggests that he could follow in Tounekti’s footsteps by being an impressive dribbler who does not offer much in the way of goals and assists.

REUTERS/Maria Lysaker

The concern, therefore, is that Celtic could need to go back into the market for another forward next year if the Egyptian is unable to add more end product to his performances on the flank.

Celtic close in on a more exciting signing than Haissem Hassan

Whilst there are valid concerns to be had over how effective Hassan will be for O’Neill, the club are already looking at another attacking signing who is an even more exciting prospect.

Indeed, according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Mika Baur to Celtic can now be considered a “done deal”.

The Hoops have reached a “full agreement” to land the player for around a £7m fee which is a record sale for Paderborn. Baur is now already on his way to Glasgow with his agent. A medical and contract signing is now officially pending.

Given that the board have been willing to pay up to £9m to sign Hassan, who is an unproven winger with the potential to fall flat at Parkhead, the club are certainly doing the right thing to pay the £7m asking price to sign Baur.

The Germany U21 international’s form for Paderborn in their promotion-winning campaign suggests that he would be a far more exciting addition than the winger, as he has already shown that he can have a big impact in the final third.

In the 2025/26 2. Bundesliga season, the £7m-rated star racked up four goals and five assists in 32 starts for Paderborn, who won promotion to the Bundesliga.

Hassan, meanwhile, has never produced more than eight goal contributions in a single season in all competitions in his club career to date, despite being two years older than Baur.

This suggests that the 22-year-old talent could offer more to O’Neill’s team as an attacking threat, as both a scorer and a creator of goals, which is why he could be a more exciting addition to the squad.

Whilst Hassan could be a frustrating winger, like Tounekti, with a lack of end product, Baur has the quality to excite supporters by chipping in with goal contributions on a regular basis from the middle of the park.

Celtic’s 5-1 win over Kilmarnock last weekend in the Premiership showed that O’Neill’s side is the perfect place for an effective attacking player to shine, as they dominate matches and create plenty of chances.

Baur, as a midfielder who has shown that he can thrive at the top end of the pitch in a dominant team, could excel in that environment and be an exciting player to watch this season.