Celtic target Soufiane El-Faouzi has signed a contract extension with Schalke.
The 23-year-old was an ambitious name on the Hoops’ shortlist, with Premier League and Serie A clubs also interested.
Promoted to the Bundesliga with Schalke last season, the midfielder has enjoyed a significant rise in profile since making his £175,000 move to Gelsenkirchen last summer.
He had been on the verge of moving to Hearts prior to Schalke hijacking the transfer.
😳 Just the second after Henrik Larsson!
Incredible stuff from the Celtic target at the World Cup…
Soufiane El-Faouzi agrees new Schalke contract until 2030
According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany, El-Faouzi has now reached an agreement in principle to remain at the club on their return to the Bundesliga.
The reports noted that he had interest from the top flights in England, Italy and Germany.
READ MORE: Alfie Devine’s ‘strong links’ to Celtic emerge as Preston struggle to close deal
It had previously been reported in Scotland that El-Faouzi was open to joining Celtic, making him an intriguing option at the time.
His reported £10 million price tag made him a potential significant investment, but the club are about to turn a profit on Arne Engels, brought to Germany at a similar price.
After serious interest in January, Engels is now expected to leave Celtic, with a host of European clubs chasing the 22-year-old.
Reo Hatate was left out of the matchday squad for the final two games of the season; he too looks destined to leave. Paulo Bernardo is also completely out of favour.
An excellent debut season by Benjamin Nygren is also generating interest, and a rapid exit hasn’t been ruled out for the Hoops’ top scorer.
Even captain Callum McGregor hasn’t ruled out an exit, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contract is now up.
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Celtic in the hunt for midfielders this summer
With plenty of change expected at Celtic this summer, the midfield is expected to be the main area of reinforcement.
Milan Vitalis, Elijah Just and Elliot Watt are all reportedly on the Hoops’ radar.
Celtic have also reignited their interest in Jakob Breum, the Danish midfielder for whom they infamously sent several lowball offers last summer.
Celtic had scouted both Silas Andersen and Issa Doumbia in recent months, but the pair are now on the verge of joining Sporting in Portugal.
Alfie Devine’s ‘strong links’ to Celtic emerge as Preston struggle to close deal as Preston struggle to close a deal for the midfielder.
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