Jocelin Ta Bi’s agent appeared to take a dig at Celtic following his move to Sunderland.
The winger completed a move to the Premier League club after initially looking like he would be heading to Glasgow.
Ta Bi even spoke of his excitement at joining the Hoops before things took a turn at the eleventh hour after Celtic wanted clarity over an ankle injury.
In the end, they pulled the plug and opted for Sunderland instead, but it wasn’t without some catty comments.
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Jocelin Ta Bi’s agent opens up on failed Celtic move
In an interview with Israeli media, Ta Bi’s agent Stav Hakmon revealed that Celtic were in the driving seat before accusing them of being suspicious over the potential injury.
Hakmon said: “We felt that something was amiss. It wasn’t a matter of playing games because the deal was done. They didn’t tell us that the tests were abnormal, they said that, after the results, we would sit down and decide whether it was appropriate for him to sit out at the beginning.
“It didn’t seem like Celtic were pushing for it, and he told us to think about it again.
“I paid the hotel bill so that Celtic wouldn’t say they had paid for us and we took the train to Sunderland.
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“We sent an official letter to Celtic and Maccabi Netanya saying that the player would not be coming due to foot-dragging. It didn’t seem like Celtic were pushing for it, and he told us to think about it again.
“I paid the hotel bill so that Celtic wouldn’t say they had paid for us and we took the train to Sunderland.
“We sent an official letter to Celtic and Maccabi Netanya saying that the player would not be coming due to foot-dragging.”
Celtic proving they are not world class operators
Time and time again we have heard that Celtic are self-proclaimed ‘world class operators’ but this latest debacle makes them sound more like amateurs.
Doing their due diligence on someone’s fitness is one expectation but leaving them in the cold when unsure on what to do is unprofessional.
Yes, it is a deal that for off pitch reasons was right to call off, however, this is also something that should have been considered when first making an approach.
A club with resources like Celtic should be leading the way, not getting stuck in the past.
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