Olympiacos have completed the signing of reported Celtic target Zinedin Smajlovic.
The Swedish defender was a man in demand ahead of this summer, having emerged as a standout for Sandefjord.
Reports of Celtic’s interest in Smajlovic were disputed, though teamTALK chief Rudy Galetti maintained that the Hoops were in the race for the 22-year-old.
He did, however, note that Olympiacos were the frontrunners, and they have now won the race for his signature.
🤔 Do Celtic need to sign a centre-back this summer?
Olympiacos complete signing of Zinedin Smajlovic from Sandefjord
The fee of £5 million makes Smajlovic the Norwegian club’s most expensive-ever sale…
Not bad given that they got him for free from the Swedish second tier just 15 months ago.
READ MORE: Kjetil Knutsen leapfrogs Wilfried Nancy in Strasbourg race amid ‘advanced talks’
Olympiacos, owned by Nottingham Forest chief Evangelos Marinakis, missed out to local rivals AEK Athens in the Greek title race last season.
They could potentially face Hearts in the Champions League qualifiers in the coming weeks. As well as Smajlovic, they are also reportedly hunting the signing of Giorgos Giakoumakis.
Despite being a centre-back, Smajlovic’s style of play is more akin to that of a midfielder, and his dribbling numbers are higher than some wingers.
His style of play is defined by regular marauding runs with the ball, and an emphasis on progressive passing. After all, he was named after Zinedine Zidane…
After leaving Brommapojkarna in his youth, Smajlovic was taken from the third tier of Swedish football to play for Lecce in Serie A in 2023.
He was unable to establish himself in Italy so returned to Sweden in 2024. He has earned his move to Greece by working his way up from the lower leagues.
Name the Celtic players who you think need a BIG pre-season? 🍀🤔
Share your thoughts, Celtic fans…👇🍀
Will Celtic sign a centre-back this summer?
On paper, Celtic don’t need a central defender unless they plan on moving one, or several, of their existing ones on.
Under O’Neill last season, Liam Scales and Auston Trusty have been the preferred pair for the vast majority of time, though Cameron Carter-Vickers was injured throughout his two interim spells.
Regardless, several central defenders are being linked this summer, primarily Poland international Oskar Wojcik.
The names of Nobel Mendy, Michael Parker and Scott McKenna have also done the rounds.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
