Celtic fans were heading to bed thinking that nobody would be joining but at the very last moment, the Hoops confirmed an arrival.
Sebastian Tounekti joined for £5.2m from Hammarby on transfer deadline day as Brendan Rodgers captured another winger at the death.
The Tunisia international was a target that Celtic worked hard to land after having three bids rejected.
Throughout the process, Hammarby said they wouldn’t sell Tounekti until a change of heart at the very last minute.
Now that his departure has been confirmed, the Swedish giants have revealed why they sanctioned the deal.
- READ MORE: Celtic make very late bid for striker who enjoyed the best form of his career under Brendan Rodgers
Hammarby explain why they sold Sebastian Tounekti to Celtic
Following confirmation of his move, Hammarby released a statement to announce the departure of the 23-year-old.
Tounekti scored three goals and registered five assists from 21 league games this season, and despite their best efforts to keep him, the sporting director admitted the offer was too good to turn down.
Speaking to Hammarby’s official club website, Mikael Hjelmberg said: “Our ambition has always been to keep Sebastian during the summer window, but Celtic’s final offer was so lucrative that we weighed the financial aspect against what we would lose in sporting terms.
“With the options we have in our attacking positions, as well as Sebastian’s own wishes, we believe that the best thing for Hammarby is to accept Celtic’s offer.
“He has made huge strides since joining us last winter, which is a testament to the development environment we have in our organisation and an equally good testament to our scouting activities, as we identified and brought in a player who has delivered at such a high level from the start. We wish Sebastian the best of luck.”
Brendan Rodgers reacts to Sebastian Tounekti
If there is one crumb of comfort to take from Tounekti’s arrival, it’s that Celtic are well stocked in the wide positions – an area they were certainly short in.
Any new signing is always exciting and Rodgers is looking forward to using the 23-year-old.
The Celtic boss told the club website: “I’m really happy that Sebastian has joined the club and I am sure he will be a really exciting addition to our squad.
“He will give us that real added attacking intent and I am sure he can make a big difference to us.
“He is a quick, clever winger who can operate on both sides, creating opportunities for himself and others. Myself and our coaches are really looking forward to working with Sebastian.”
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