Celtic lose race for Egypt star Haitham Hassan as Marseille close in on deal

Scottish champions Celtic appear to have lost the race to sign Egyptian international Haitham Hassan, with the winger now reportedly prioritising a move to French giants Marseille in the current summer window.

The Real Oviedo star had been one of Celtic’s key attacking targets as the club sought to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season. However, the Hoops have encountered several obstacles in the market and now look set to miss out on one of their most highly-rated transfer objectives.

Celtic’s transfer activity has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks after the club managed to complete only two signings despite calls for significant reinforcements. Manager Martin O’Neill had been hoping for a more productive recruitment campaign, but negotiations for several targets have failed to progress as expected.

Haitham Hassan was among the names heavily linked with a move to Glasgow after impressing in Spain with Real Oviedo. The Egyptian winger’s pace, creativity and ability to operate across multiple attacking positions made him an attractive option for Celtic as they looked to bolster their forward line.

However, recent developments suggest the 23-year-old has already decided on his preferred destination.

According to reports, Hassan prioritizes a move to Marseille, rejecting several approaches from other clubs while waiting for the French club to finalise a deal.

The update comes shortly after reports emerged that Hassan had also turned down a lucrative proposal from the Saudi Pro League. Despite being offered a financially attractive package, the winger reportedly remains determined to continue playing in Europe and compete at the highest level.

Marseille have made significant progress in negotiations with the player and have already reached a personal agreement after weeks of discussions. The French club are now working on creating room within their squad and finances by offloading players before moving ahead with a formal transfer.

The French club’s growing confidence has provided a major boost to their pursuit of the Egyptian star and placed them firmly in pole position to secure his signature.

Real Oviedo, meanwhile, are understood to be open to selling Hassan before the close of the transfer window. Although the winger’s release clause reportedly stands at around £10.2 million, the Spanish club are said to be willing to negotiate a transfer fee closer to £8 million.

The willingness to lower their asking price stems from Oviedo’s desire to reduce their wage bill and generate funds that can be reinvested into strengthening the squad ahead of the new campaign.

For Celtic, the financial demands attached to the deal appear to have been a significant stumbling block. Reports indicate that the Scottish champions were unwilling to meet the valuation set by the Spanish club and have subsequently withdrawn from the race.

As a result, Celtic have reportedly shifted their attention to alternative targets as they continue their search for attacking reinforcements before the transfer window closes.

The latest twist represents another setback for the Glasgow club in what has been a challenging recruitment period. Missing out on Hassan means Celtic will have to explore other options as they aim to provide their manager with the quality additions needed to compete domestically and in Europe.

For Marseille, however, the situation looks increasingly promising. With the player keen on the move and Real Oviedo prepared to negotiate, the French club could soon complete one of their priority signings of the summer.

Unless there is a dramatic late intervention from another club, Haitham Hassan appears destined for Ligue 1, leaving Celtic to look elsewhere in their quest for new attacking talent.