Haissem Hassan is reportedly almost a Celtic player, and is quite rightly seen as something of a coup due to his World Cup displays, most notably against World Cup holders Argentina.
Hassan is expected to arrive in Britain today to undergo his medical and to complete his signing ahead of the Champions League deadline later this week, meaning that he will be available for the Champions League play-off ties against Austrian Champions LASK.
A front three of Hassan , Hogh and Duran is certainly an upgrade on what we've gone with in recent times and clearly the club has acted to strengthen the team – which is all that the Celtic support has been asking for.
Haissem Hassan of Egypt controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Australia and Egypt at Dallas Stadium on July 03, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
We should all be excited that we are close to securing the signature of a talent such as Hassan, but some, ie the SMSM have naturally tried to find negatives in the deal, even our some of our own supporters have found themselves questioning the Egyptian's overall ability.
Admittedly his numbers when it comes to overall goals and assists doesn't look great from last season, but that doesn't tell the entire story of the players ability.
Hassan was playing in arguably the best league in Europe last year in La Liga, and his side Real Oviedo struggled badly, which ended in the club being relegated to the Spanish second tier.
He might not have managed to score, and only assisted on a couple of occasions in the Spanish top flight, but that shouldn't cast doubt on his overall ability.
Hassan is a terrific and creative player, and his service was wasted in a struggling Real Oviedo side who failed to reap the full benefits of his productivity.
At Celtic, Hassan will have the likes of Kasper Hogh, and Camilo Duran to take full advantage of his creativity.
We all saw for ourselves what Kasper is truly capable of, after he benefited from the right service at Rugby Park on Sunday.
With the likes of Hassan using his ability to open up the ultra defensive, and stubborn Scottish backlines, Kasper, Camilo, and even the guy who has that knack of being in the right place at the time Benjamin Nygren will see more opportunities come their way.
Not only will that increase their goal tally, it will give Hassan a boost on the assist stats.
Don't be in any doubt, Haissem Hassan will be a terrific addition to a Celtic side in dire need of creativity. He's going to be playing for a team on the front foot continually, sitting at the top of the table. A club that has won 14 titles in 15 seasons and multiple doubles and trebles. That's a big difference from being embroiled in a relegation dogfight.
Questions can be asked of every new signing, including Hogh and Duran and now Hassan. They can give their response on the park as the first two have already done. Haissem I am certain will do likewise.
Translated as follows: We have been able to find out the amounts of Haissem Hassan's transfer to Celtic. 6.6M€ fixed + 2.5M€ in variables. Oviedo pays 2.04M€ to Villarreal (40% capital gain), so it will receive 4.56M€ net + variables.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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