Celtic striker Albian Ajeti is unlikely to head to Basel on deadline day, according to Swiss outlet Basler Zeitung.
The Basel-based newspaper claims that the player does not fit the model of the football club. However, it’s also stated that the player’s wage demands are likely to make him too costly a target for Basel.
Ajeti has struggled once again this season. Despite making 17 appearances, Albian has only netted 3 goals as he again struggles to live up to his reputation [Transfermarkt].
It’s been reported already this month that Celtic are willing to listen to offers for their Swiss frontman [Daily Record]. However, it appears as though potential suitors have been hard to come by.
Basler Zeitung believe that Wladislaw Supriaha and Jean-Philippe Mateta are both more likely to make the move to Basel than Ajeti. Even if Celtic were willing to let the player leave on loan or permanently.
Ajeti has struggled badly to live up to his £5m price-tag [Sky Sports], with 18 months of poor on-field performances to his name.
Albian Ajeti unlikely to see much game-time at Celtic if deadline-day move evades him
You feel as though Albian really needs to find himself a move out of Glasgow within the next 15 hours or so. If he chooses to stay or doesn’t manage to find himself another route elsewhere, then his game-time is going to be extremely limited for yet another 6 months.
After all, he’s never breaking into that Celtic team anymore. Not with Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Giorgos Giakoumakis all hunting for the jersey. Ajeti has had his chance to prove himself this season and he simply hasn’t taken it.
It would be interesting to see how much Celtic would be willing to let him go for. We’re at the stage now where we would have to accept that a serious loss would be made on the player. That’s just the nature of his decline in performances.
Of course, it must also be remembered that Albian is only 24 years of age. If he makes the right move now, then there’s plenty of time for him to spark his career into life once more. That would’ve been the plan when he signed for Celtic, but it’s clearly not going to work out for him here anymore.
It also depends on the player himself. He needs to be prepared to give up the wages he’s on in his Celtic contract. He needs to put football first if we’re to get him out the door. It’s difficult to know for certain whether that’s at the forefront of Ajeti’s mind.
But for now, it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. Basel don’t look like coming forward for him today, and if they don’t, we’ll need interest to spring up out of nowhere.
In other news, Sligo Rovers coach explains why his club had to sell “big prospect” Johnny Kenny to Celtic
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