Not many would have expected Celtic to be linked with a move for Tiemoue Bakayoko. But the Frenchman's name cropped up almost out of nowhere during the international break.

It emerged that Bakayoko was training with Celtic. There were a lot of people who took that information with a grain of salt. But reliable sources have suggested since then that there was truth to that.

It is worth mentioning though that there were also claims that Bakayoko was on the verge of signing with Celtic and was even undergoing a medical with the club. That appears to have been off the mark.

According to Anthony Joseph, Celtic will not be offering Bakayoko a deal. The former Chelsea and AC Milan defensive midfielder trained with the Hoops during the international break.

It’s understood that Bakayoko used the club’s facilities during the break to keep up his fitness.

Of course, there is no past connection between Celtic and Bakayoko. So, the fact that he was allowed to use the club's facilities does suggest that there had been some level of interest in signing the French international.

Ultimately, though, the club have decided against it. And Bakayoko's run without a club will continue as a result.

Bakayoko has been without a club since the summer of 2025, when he left PAOK. But he last played in late 2024.

Bakayoko is someone who had all the pedigree that Celtic could ask for. He had been one of the best midfielders at the Champions League level while at AS Monaco.

That earned him a move to Chelsea, which did not work out. But he still ended up playing for clubs like AC Milan and Napoli on loan.

So, the experience cannot be questioned. That being said, he has had his fair share of fitness issues in recent times. And one cannot overlook the nearly two years of inactivity.

The fact that Celtic are not making a move for Bakayoko would suggest that he has done enough to convince the club that he is the right solution for them.

That is unfortunate considering he has all the attributes to add some much-needed steel to this Celtic midfield. At least he used to, in his prime.

It is also worth mentioning that Celtic had also been linked with Bakayoko earlier in the year before they ended up signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.