It might be the biggest transfer hint yet that Celtic are closing in on a move for the highly-rated player.
Celtic are set to play their second game of the league season this weekend when they play Kilmarnock away from home.
Celtic did not look spectacular on Flag Day by any means. Then again, they were wasteful in front of goal and the 1-0 victory margin could have been a lot larger.
All things considered, Celtic still need to work on strengthening their squad. And it looks like all signs seem to be pointing towards one signing being close.
Celtic signing is close but not before this weekend's game
According to Anthony Joseph, Haissem Hassan has been left out of Real Oviedo’s squad for their pre-season match against Le Havre tomorrow.
The Egypt international winger is the subject of a £9 million transfer bid from Celtic. Hassan is awaiting the green light for the clubs to agree a deal so he can travel for a medical.
The two clubs are not far from an agreement on the deal but are still ironing out a few details.
Any move for Hassan is not expected to happen in time for him to take part in this weekend's game though. Shaun Maloney said:
“Not too sure. The processes around the club has genuinely been Martin and Michael. I don’t see anything changing in the squad this weekend.
“Apart from Jota being unavailable, everyone else is fit. For transfers, I don’t see any ins or outs. Martin is still over it.”
Of course, that is not too big of a problem. Celtic need to be thinking long-term here. That would be getting a deal done for Hassan.
Question marks over signing Hassan
Obviously, there are some question marks over whether he is the right signing or not. Yes, he did have a stellar performance against Argentina at the World Cup. But you cannot bring in someone based on one display.
Hassan's numbers in La Liga last season were not impressive. He had three assists and no goals. But that being said, you also have to recognise that he was playing for the team that finished bottom of the table.
It is almost impossible for a winger to showcase his full skill set when playing for that kind of team. He was still in the 96th percentile for successful dribbles in La Liga. So, someone like Hassan might thrive playing for a front-foot side such as Celtic.
Then again, this deal is not over the line yet. As long as that is the case, Celtic fans cannot take anything for granted.
In the past, we have seen more than once that deals that had looked as good as done fall apart in the final steps. This could easily turn into one such situation. But for now, there is reason to be optimistic.
