Celtic miss out on free transfer as player chooses another club – Brendan Rodgers’ side now need to look elsewhere

Celtic’s efforts to sign FC Twente’s Gijs Smal appear to have failed as he’s set to join Feyenoord on a free transfer instead of Brendan Rodgers’ side.

That’s according to Algemeen Dagblad, who say Arne Slot and co. have won the race for the 26-year-old and beaten Celtic to the punch.

They report that Feyenoord will sign Smals on a free transfer in the summer when his current deal with Twente comes to an end.

He’ll arrive as a replacement for Marcos Lopez, who is looking increasingly likely to leave the club in the summer, and has already signing a multi-year deal at De Kuip.

There had been plenty of interest in the defender from inside the Netherlands and outside, with a report yesterday making it clear Celtic had already approached him and his agent and detailed the benefits of a potential move to Celtic Park.

It seems, though, those efforts have proven to be fruitless, and Smal has instead elected to remain in the Eredivisie and join Feyenoord as second choice behind Quilindschy Hartman.

Celtic, then, will have to turn their transfer focus elsewhere, with this option now off the table for Brendan Rodgers and his team.