Celtic dodged a €6m bullet as Sondre Orjasaeter makes honest Scottish football admission

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Sondre Orjasaeter has explained why a move to Celtic in the summer was never going to happen.

The Norwegian winger was targeted by the Hoops in January as Sarpsborg rejected a £4.4m transfer bid late in the window.

Celtic were then heavily linked with Orjasaeter again in the summer and were said to be ‘in talks’ over a possible deal.

But in the end, Orjasaeter moved to Dutch side FC Twente for a fee reported between €5m and €6m. Now, the winger has directly addressed Celtic’s pursuit and what happened.

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Orjasaeter admits he is not ‘cut out’ to play for Celtic

Orjasaeter says that Celtic and Sarpsborg could not reach an agreement over a transfer fee, a familiar tale for Hoops fans.

In addition, the Norwegian youngster felt moving to play in the Scottish Premiership wasn’t right for him. But when FC Twente came calling, he jumped at the chance.

As quoted by freelance journalist Mark Walker, Orjasaeter revealed: “It’s true that Celtic got serious. We still couldn’t reach an agreement. The fee Sarpsborg was asking for was a problem.

“But I also didn’t think it was the right move for me. Celtic are a huge club, with a great history, but I honestly don’t think I’m cut out for Scottish football. When Twente contacted me, it was immediately clear to me and my agent that it was a no-brainer of a decision to move there.

“It was a great opportunity for me and I didn’t hesitate. Twente are a good club, in a league full of technically gifted, attacking players.

“The Eredivisie is a fantastic platform for young footballers anyway. I just had a good feeling. And after just one day here, I knew this was the right choice for me.”

FC Twente sporting director revealed Orjasaeter had options

Back in August after Orjasaeter’s switch to FC Twente was sealed, the club’s sporting director Jan Streuer explained that Celtic were one of many clubs chasing him.

In the end, FC Twente was considered his best option. Streuer said: “He definitely had more options. Celtic, for example, also wanted him; he’s been there.

“He could have gone to other countries, but he really wanted to go to the Netherlands. In my opinion, that’s also a great step for a young player’s development.”

Orjasaeter has played six games for his new team so far, scoring no goals but assisting once.