Ghedjemis Set to Decide Between Celtic and Rangers
The first shots of the season have barely been fired, yet Celtic and Rangers are already locked in a familiar struggle – this time over Fares Ghedjemis.
The Algerian winger, coveted on both sides of Glasgow, has now indicated where his heart lies. According to Celts Are Here, Ghedjemis is open to a move to Celtic and, crucially, would prefer Parkhead to Ibrox if he leaves Frosinone.
That single shift in stance could reshape one of the window’s most intriguing transfer battles.
Celtic’s slow burn, Rangers’ fast start – and a shared target
Celtic’s summer has stuttered rather than roared. After a sluggish start to their recruitment, they finally landed Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Høgh, following the earlier arrival of Camilo Duran. Helpful additions, but nowhere near enough to offset the exodus from Parkhead in recent months.
Rangers have gone the other way. Eight signings already for new manager Derek McInnes, a clear statement that the Ibrox board intend to arm him heavily for a title tilt. The new-look squad, though, is still finding its feet. The opening-day Scottish Premiership draw with Dundee United underlined that. Energy, yes. Cohesion, not yet.
It is not the start McInnes, the former Hearts boss, would have scripted. He carries the sting of last season’s finale, when Celtic and Martin O’Neill snatched the title on the final day. Every decision this summer is framed by that wound.
Celtic, for their part, did little more than get the job done in a laboured 1–0 win over Dundee. The performance failed to convince, but the points column did not. Three on the board, and a reminder that champions often start with a grind, not a flourish.
Against that backdrop, the chase for Ghedjemis has become more than a transfer story. It feels like an early psychological skirmish in a title race that could run deep into spring.
A deal that slipped away – and came back
Celtic know exactly how close they came to landing Ghedjemis before. In January, they had a €6m bid accepted by Frosinone. The route was clear, the money agreed, the door open.
The player closed it.
At 23, the Algeria international chose to stay in Italy, to see out the job he had started. Frosinone were pushing for promotion to Serie A, and he decided to commit to the cause. It paid off. Promotion secured. Objective achieved.
That success has changed everything. Frosinone now hold a winger with top-flight football ahead of him and a queue forming at the door. They have raised his price, convinced that the lure of facing Italy’s elite should be enough to keep him in yellow and blue for at least one more season.
Celtic, if they return, will not get January’s terms back.
Rangers outbid, Celtic preferred
Rangers have already tested Frosinone’s resolve with an £8m offer. Even that was knocked back. The Italian club are not bluffing about their valuation or their reluctance to lose one of their standout players on the eve of a Serie A campaign.
For now, Rangers sit in the unusual position of being the higher bidders but the lower priority for the player himself. The numbers say Ibrox. The heart, at this stage, points to Celtic Park.
That tension defines the race. Celtic would have to move well beyond their previous €6m proposal to be taken seriously again, yet they carry the advantage of Ghedjemis’ stated preference. Rangers have shown they are prepared to go bigger on the fee, but must convince a player whose mind appears to be leaning the other way.
Money on one side. Desire on the other. Frosinone hold both in their hands.
Forty-eight hours that could set the tone
The next two days matter.
Frosinone are scheduled to hold fresh talks over Ghedjemis’ future within the next 48 hours, with interest rising across Europe. The Old Firm pair are not alone. Clubs from France, Spain and Italy are tracking the winger, and every new phone call strengthens the Italians’ bargaining position.
Celtic may feel they have the edge where it counts – in the player’s preference – but Rangers have already proved they are willing to push the financial envelope. Somewhere between those positions lies the figure that might finally make Frosinone blink.
For now, the Italian club are digging in. They want Ghedjemis on the pitch as they fight to stay in Serie A, not on a balance sheet as a one-off windfall. Any deal will have to change that calculation.
One thing is certain: whichever Glasgow giant wins this tug-of-war will not just be signing a winger. They will be landing an early blow in a season where every marginal gain, every psychological edge, could decide where the trophy ends up.
