Anthony Joseph believes that Celtic will push through a deal to sign Gvidas Gineitis if they reach the Champions League.
That depends on seeing off LASK tonight with Martin O’Neill’s side taking a 3-0 lead into tonight’s match.
Gineitis has been linked with Celtic since June and is likely to command a price tag in the region of £8-10m.
Not many young midfielders will make the switch from Serie A to the SPFL but the lure of the Champions League is strong.
Aged 22 Gineitis has three years experience playing in Serie A as well as 32 international caps.
That sort of profile would add to the Celtic squad, and be a major upgrade if they go into Thursday’s Champions League draw.
Joseph is effectively the Celtic insider for Sky Sports News.
Other reporters come up with stories from time to time but Joseph seems to be constantly on the case. For incoming and outgoing deals.
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 25, 2026
This morning in the Sky Sports Transfer Blog he delivered on a number of reported targets.
Celtic’s priority is to replace Arne Engels and bring in a box-to-box midfielder. It’s understood that, should tonight’s outcome go their way, they will pursue their interest in Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis. The Lithuania international is believed to be valued in the region of £10m by the Serie A club.
Sky Sports News reported last week that the Scottish champions had opened talks with Slovan Liberec over a possible £8m deal for their attacking midfielder Ermin Mahmic. The Bosnia-Herzegovina World Cup star has been left out of the Czech side’s squads while talks continue.
Joseph then name checked Balazs Toth of Blackburn, Chelsea’s Landon Emenalo and Niko Sigur of Hadjuk Split
It was the plan going into the summer, but priorities have had to change for various reasons. Utrecht’s Adrian Blake is a prime target for that position and he’s understood to be keen on joining Celtic.Â
But, with Jota making progress on a return and the incoming Emenalo’s flexibility to play further forward, it remains to be seen whether the Hoops will still enter the market for that position with only nine days to go – and other areas taking priority.
CELTIC IN PROFIT AS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AWAITS
Give or take some add-ons in either direction Celtic have made a surplus of around £10m so far in the transfer window.
Engels and Daizen Maeda will be missed but so far all four signings look like first team fixtures.
Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran and Mika Baur started and influenced the first leg tie against LASK.
Haissem Hassan came off the bench and is clearly a week or two behind his team-mates in terms of match fitness.
More than eight Champions League fixtures through to the end of January are on the line tonight in Austria.
If the desired outcome is achieved in LASK Celtic fans will be looking for Gineitis and others arriving before the transfer window closes next Thursday.
