Post-deadline move: Celtic could sign the perfect Gineitis upgrade for free
1 week ago
11
PROTECT YOUR DNA WITH QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by Adpathway
Published Sep 4, 2026, 7:10 PM GMT+1
Robbie is the Assistant Editor at Football FanCast, specialising in football analysis, transfer coverage and feature writing, with particular expertise in Manchester United, Celtic, Rangers and the wider Premier League and Scottish football.
A sports journalist since graduating from the University of Exeter in 2020, Robbie has spent more than six years covering professional football across the Premier League, EFL, SPFL and European competitions. His career has included news and feature work for 90min and more than a year covering the Premier League and Manchester United in particular at Football Faithful.
Robbie joined Football FanCast through the site's academy programme in 2022, progressing to the Exclusives team before becoming Assistant Editor in October 2023. His work combines original reporting, transfer insight, football analysis and informed feature writing, with a particular focus on understanding the context behind the latest news and what developments mean for clubs, managers and players.
He has developed extensive knowledge of Manchester United, Celtic and Rangers through regular coverage, while also bringing a broad understanding of the Premier League, EFL and Scottish football. His experience covering the game extends beyond the page, with a long-standing connection to Wycombe Wanderers that has seen him attend home and away matches for more than two decades.
Through his reporting and analysis, Robbie provides readers with credible football insight, informed transfer assessment and detailed coverage that goes beyond the headline, drawing on years of experience following clubs and competitions at close range.
It's not clear the full extent to which Celtic's Champions League woes impacted their end-of-window recruitment, but in any case, it did all get a little frantic earlier this week.
Ahead of the looming Europa League registration deadline on Wednesday, the Scottish champions made as many as five new signings in a single day, alongside the prior capture of Oliver Sorensen.
The Hoops will have to hope this isn't a repeat of the influx of late signings made back in January, none of whom really made any sort of sustained impact in the second half of last season.
REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Equally, too, Martin O'Neill and co will also be hoping that the failure to snap up leading target, Gvidas Gineitis, doesn't prove costly as the season progresses. Can another new face be signed instead?
Why Celtic missed out on Gvidas Gineitis
Following a raft of incomings at Parkhead, there is perhaps most intrigue surrounding the make-up of the midfield unit, not least with Reo Hatate, Arne Engels and Paulo Bernardo having all gone out the exit door.
In the diminutive Mika Baur, the Glasgow giants appear to have found the direct successor to Hatate. In Oliver Sorensen, there is an all-action player to fill Engels' void. As for Joel van den Berg, the 19-year-old will hopefully nudge ahead of Luke McCowan as the direct rival to Benjamin Nygren.
Another window has come and gone, however, without a clear, genuine understudy for Callum McGregor having been signed, with there a feeling that the aforementioned Gineitis could have been the man for the job in that role.
REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
A silky, languid left-footer, the 22-year-old is another quality, energetic asset who can bomb up and down that left side, a player who also created five 'big chances' in Serie A last season.
He was the man O'Neill wanted, by all accounts, although as reported by CeltsAreHere, personal terms were never agreed with the Lithuanian, as Michael Nicholson failed to properly ramp up negotiations.
REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
Torino would have been willing to sell for around €8m (£7m), yet Celtic still couldn't strike an agreement, with O'Neill said to be frustrated both at that late collapse and the failure to get new signings in before the meeting with LASK.
The 74-year-old, who has since named his Europa League squad, will have to make do with what he's got for now, unless the club dips into the free agent market.
How Celtic could still sign an upgrade on Gineitis
Celtic have been no stranger to a late move over the past 12 months or so, with the failure to sign an experienced, proven striker having seen Brendan Rodgers reunite with Kelechi Iheanacho after the deadline a year ago.
More recently, O'Neill secured the free transfer signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back in February, albeit with the Englishman frustratingly signed too late to be included in the Europa League roster.
That would be the same story now if any last-gasp move were to be made, yet even so, the pursuit of Gineitis clearly showcased that O'Neill wanted another midfielder in the door.
It might then be worth looking to ex-Tottenham Hotspur man, Yves Bissouma, with reports last week indicating that Celtic were among the clubs interested in signing the 30-year-old free agent.
The Malian has been without a club since leaving Spurs back in June, having endured something of a turbulent spell in north London, not least due to injury.
That said, he was a firm favourite of a certain Ange Postecoglou, having notably started in the final as the Lilywhites beat Manchester United to claim the Europa League back in May 2025.
A player previously lauded as a "Champions League level" talent by then-Brighton and Hove Albion boss, Graham Potter, Bissouma is a real Rolls-Royce of a midfielder, undoubtedly a class above Gineitis.
REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
While 2025/26 was almost a write-off as he started only seven Premier League games, he had been a more consistent figure the year prior, scoring two goals while boasting a standout 89% pass accuracy rate in England's top-flight.
He also averaged 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game, while having also averaged three ball recoveries per game, proving a real powerhouse presence, be it as a number six or a number eight.
Bissouma - Career Record
Stat
Record
Games
304
Goals
15
Assists
5
Red Cards
5
PL Games
202
PL Goals
5
PL Assists
2
PL Red Cards
3
Biggest Fee
£25m
For comparison, in Serie A last season, Gineitis registered one assist yet didn't score a single goal, while recording a lowly 76% pass accuracy rate.
Out of possession, meanwhile, the Torino man did also average 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game, albeit with his record standing at just 2.7 per game in terms of ball recoveries.
It wasn't too long ago, during his time at Brighton, that Bissouma even suggested that he was the best midfielder in the Premier League, a statement that wasn't necessarily unwarranted considering his fine form for the Seagulls.
It didn't quite happen at Tottenham, but this is a man with a wealth of experience behind him at the elite level, be it domestically or in Europe, ensuring he'd be the perfect signing to make Celtic forget about Gineitis.
1 week ago
11
REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
English (US) · 
French (CA) ·