Celtic gamble on World Cup star Haissem Hassan to boost attack

Celtic have secured Real Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan on a four‑year contract, with an optional fifth year, after his dazzling World Cup display for Egypt against Argentina, a performance captured by Getty Images that brought the Pharaohs close to eliminating Lionel Messi’s side.

Celtic's strategic push for quality

Manager Martin O'Neill said the club prioritises quality over quantity as it rebuilds a squad that lost more than a dozen players after last season’s Premiership and Scottish Cup double. Hassan is Celtic's third summer signing ahead of a crucial Champions League play‑off with LASK next Wednesday.

World Cup showcase raises Hassan's profile

Hassan featured for Egypt against Argentina at this year's World Cup, delivering a dazzling performance that took the side to the brink of knocking out Lionel Messi’s team. A registration delay limited him to 126 minutes, but he came on as a second‑half substitute in the last‑32 penalty shootout win over Australia and later tormented Argentina, setting up Mostafa Zico’s goal and registering nine dribble attempts at a rate of 6.4 per 90 minutes.

From French youth to Egyptian senior and Oviedo exit

Born in France, Haissem Hassan represented Les Bleus at Under‑17 and Under‑18 level before switching allegiance and making his senior debut for Egypt earlier this year. He began his club career at Châteauroux, moved to Villarreal B, spent loan spells at Mirandés and Sporting Gijón, and joined Real Oviedo in 2024, helping them win promotion with four goals and three assists.

In La Liga, Hassan made 37 appearances, 20 of them from the start, contributed three assists, failed to score and saw Oviedo finish bottom, posting an expected‑goals figure of 0.15.

"It is a great moment and a real honour for me to join Celtic," Hassan told club media, adding that he had to come to Glasgow as soon as he heard of the interest.

O'Neill added: "The club has done really well to secure a player of such quality, with a number of other clubs interested in him. He is someone who I think has the ability and experience to do very well for us, performing at a high level in domestic and international football."

With fellow arrivals Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran already in the squad, O'Neill is expected to deploy Hassan on the right wing, providing pace and attacking intent while Duran shifts to the left, a setup reminiscent of the Gordon Strachan era.