Celtic and Rangers have tried to sign Frosinone’s Fares Ghedjemis this summer and have now been given a transfer warning.
Celtic initially stepped forward for the Algerian towards the end of the January transfer. This was promptly rejected by the Italian club, as the player was keen on staying beyond the winter window. The decision paid off, as the attacker was key in helping them seal promotion to the Italian top-flight.
This summer, Rangers have also stepped forward for the winger. Sport Witness have covered how they offered €10m for the signature, right after Celtic offered €6m.
The player has also been linked with a move to France in recent days but could be set to stay at Frosinone.
President addresses Ghedjemis’ future
Frosinone president Maurizio Stripe spoke at a press conference on Thursday, where he addressed Ghedjemis’ situation.
The Italian revealed that Celtic and Rangers have shown interest, but the Serie A club will not sell the player. They need a significant rise from suitors to consider his departure.
He said – via TuttoFrosinone: “Is Gheddjemis for sale? As I’ve always said, we don’t consider him for sale. If I had been left alone, it would have been an option worth considering. With the partnership with Clara Vista, a transfer is not envisaged. Then it’s clear that there is a market in which the player wants to, there are offers to be considered and there must be the possibility of replacing a player we consider very important.
“At the moment the offers are insufficient, despite the fact that every day someone increases by €50k. They haven’t understood that if they don’t take a significant step, we’re still at the beginning, like in the game of snakes and ladders. The player looks at the clubs that are interested in him, there’s Monaco, Besiktas, there was Celtic and there were Rangers.”
Player wants new challenge
Stripe also clarified that Ghedjemis has been considering an exit but that doesn’t always lead to a transfer.
“I understand the player’s mentality, they are all ambitious goals that can tempt him, but then there is also the will of the shareholder who says my intention is not to sell. At the moment the conditions are not there but then we will have to reconcile everything because it’s not right to keep a disgruntled player, it’s unfair for him to give up that kind of money if he has the chance to earn it.
“At the moment, however, there’s no desire to sell him, no offers are worth considering, there’s a player who has expectations but isn’t quite finding his way.”
Our take: Scottish clubs being outpriced
The Italian press had been certain that Frosinone’s demand for Ghedjemis stands at €15m right now. The offers from Celtic and Rangers were much lower and Stripe’s comments will not make things easy.
There is a rising possibility of him staying with them and playing in Serie A. This will escalate his value and it could rise well above €15m. This will attract major clubs in Italy and beyond.
So if Celtic and Rangers still want the 23-year-old, they should act fast.
