Celtic assistant manager Shaun Maloney has hinted that the club may cool their interest in Frosinone winger Fares Ghedjemis if they finalise a deal for Real Oviedo's Haissem Hassan. Speaking after training on Friday, Maloney also provided an update on manager Martin O'Neill, who was discharged from hospital on Thursday following a minor procedure.
O'Neill's recovery and weekend decision
O'Neill, 74, is recovering at home after a health scare earlier in the week. He missed Friday's session at Lennoxtown, with Maloney and Mark Fotheringham overseeing training. Maloney visited O'Neill and described his condition as positive.
“I went to see him, so it was really positive. He got out of hospital on Thursday. He was in good form - loads better than he was Monday or Tuesday,” Maloney said. “Hopefully those sort of positive feelings that he has continues.”
Asked whether O'Neill would be in the dugout for Sunday's trip to Kilmarnock, Maloney said there is no timeline. “There’s no timeline. Even for the game at the weekend, it's a sort of day-to-day. We saw him on Thursday night with regards to the preparation for the game. I'll speak to him this afternoon and then he'll make a call. If it's this weekend, great. If it isn't, then we'll prepare for it without him.”
Maloney ready to step in if needed
Maloney insisted he is prepared to take charge if O'Neill is not ready. “It’s a strange... we'll definitely miss him if he's not there. But you also have to respect what's happened the last few days. The impact that he's had since October has been nothing short of incredible, really. The things that he does with the players and the staff. So we will miss him, but we'll be prepared.”
He added that the squad will be similar, with no new injuries. “There hasn’t been any injuries so we can speak about the team and what he wants to do if he doesn’t make it. He hasn’t made that call yet and we will probably have to wait until Saturday afternoon.”
Transfer update: Hassan close, Ghedjemis may be surplus
Celtic are close to signing Egypt World Cup star Haissem Hassan after a breakthrough in talks. Hassan has been left out of Real Oviedo's squad for a friendly with Le Havre. The club have also targeted Frosinone's left-footed right winger Fares Ghedjemis.
However, with Jota returning to light training after a long-term injury, Maloney hinted that if Hassan arrives, other areas may be prioritised. “I'm not sure how close it is. I know there's a lot of things in the media, but I'm not sure how close either is. On that right side, I think if we get one in with a certain profile and we keep everyone, I think that might be enough. But I think we have to wait and see.”
He pointed to existing options: “I think the job that Yang did. Seb Tounekti can play off the right, we've got young Sean McArdle coming through, we've got James Forrest. I think what we want is to feel like the nine position where it's like, this is really difficult to see who's starting. But, yeah, let's cross that bridge, hopefully, when we get some work done.”
Transfer window frustrations
Celtic have broken their transfer record with £17million spent on strikers Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran. But with a £40m Champions League play-off against LASK approaching, there has been criticism for not doing more business. Maloney admitted he would have liked more new faces earlier.
“I think that's fair, but I think probably everyone in the club would say that. I think how we feel about that nine position, I think we would love to feel like that in every position, but I'm also realistic that it doesn't work like that in the transfer window. Some things take longer than others. I think as a coach or as a manager, you always want these players as quickly as possible. We've done probably over 40 sessions now in pre-season, so you'd love them on the very first day, but you're also realistic. So in an ideal world, yes, but I think we also have to work with the squad that we have. We've got really good players and then when the new ones come in, you try and integrate them as quickly as possible.”
