Celtic’s midfield gamble stalls as Torino rebuffs Gineitis bid

Celtic have missed out on their final deadline‑day target, Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis, after the Italian club rejected a bid reported at between £8 million and £10 million. The Parkhead side had been hunting more energy and quality in midfield following Arne Engels’ departure, leaving a key gap ahead of their Europa League squad submission.

Midfield gap after Engels' exit

Martin O’Neill identified the midfield void left by Arne Engels’ move to West Ham as a priority for the summer. He had earmarked Gineitis, a 22‑year‑old Lithuanian international, to inject the energy and quality he felt the side lacked.

Europa League squad and lingering concerns

Celtic’s transfer window erupted in the final 24 hours, with six players added before the Wednesday evening clash with Aberdeen at Celtic Park. How the window unfolded shows a frantic push after the club had already secured four signings earlier in the summer, taking the total new arrivals into double‑figure territory. The influx included loan arrivals Sam Johnstone from Wolverhampton Wanderers and teenage striker Shim Mheuka from Chelsea.

The bid for Gineitis collapsed after Torino demanded an upfront £10 million, while Celtic’s offer was reported at between £8 million and £10 million and no personal terms were agreed. Ignazio Abate confirmed the deal fell through a day after CeltsAreHere reported the £9 million rating.

Among the confirmed arrivals, left‑back Landon Emenalo joined on loan from Stamford Bridge and Swiss right‑back Jordan Lotomba arrived from Feyenoord on a short‑term deal. Joel van den Berg signed a four‑year contract for a reported £3.5 million fee from PSV Eindhoven, and Danish midfielder Oliver Sorensen completed a one‑year loan from Parma. The summer also saw Camilo Duran, Kasper Høgh, Haissem Hassan and Mika Baur secured for a combined £30 million.

Celtic were forced to submit a 25‑man Europa League list by Wednesday, excluding Emenalo, Mheuka and van den Berg from the competition squad. The list included seven home‑trained players as required by UEFA. O’Neill admitted “There are obviously some very tough decisions to be made” and stressed that domestic football remains the priority. He added that the midfield still lacks an experienced central option despite the new signings.

The failure to secure Gineitis leaves the midfield gap unfilled, meaning the club will rely on loans such as Johnstone and Mheuka for immediate impact. Johnstone said he aims to wrestle the No 1 shirt from Viljami Sinisalo after being on the bench for the 3‑0 win over Aberdeen. The summer window earned a 6.5/10 rating, reflecting the late‑stage scramble and the lingering need for a core midfielder.

The story was compiled by JOHN MCGARRY, SCOTTISH CHIEF SPORTS FEATURE WRITER, in September.