Celtic are preparing to revive their pursuit of Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis when the January transfer window opens, after their summer move for the 22-year-old collapsed over a £4m gap in valuation. The Scottish club pushed a £9m proposal in the final days of the summer window, but Torino held out for closer to £13m, according to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider. The two sides never bridged that divide, and the deal died before personal terms were ever discussed.
Gineitis’ agent, Dmitry Vinokurov, has since confirmed the breakdown was purely financial. He said the coaching and football staff at Celtic backed the move, while figures higher up the club were less convinced about committing the funds. Vinokurov added that Celtic and the player never agreed personal terms because the club wanted to settle the fee with Torino first. That order of operations left Gineitis in limbo while the window ticked down, and Celtic eventually moved on to Oliver Sørensen, signing the Danish midfielder after failing to land their preferred target.
The failed pursuit came at a difficult time for Celtic’s recruitment team. The club had missed out on Champions League qualification, which reduced the money available for new signings. That shortfall effectively dictated how far Celtic could push in negotiations, and it left them unable to match Torino’s valuation of a player who had featured 31 times for the Serie A side across league and cup competitions last season.
Gineitis has not had a smooth start to the current campaign. He came off at half-time during Torino’s 2-0 defeat by Roma on September 14, with Daniel Bragança replacing him. His minutes have been limited in the early part of the season, and that reduced involvement is something Celtic will be monitoring closely. If his situation at Torino does not improve, the club may find themselves in a stronger position to negotiate come January.
The interest from Celtic is not difficult to understand. Gineitis is tall, left-footed, and capable of adding size, ball recovery, and range from central midfield. Those are qualities the squad could use, and the coaching staff’s desire to bring him in was clear before the summer window closed. But his playing style carries risk. He can lose possession when opponents press aggressively, and his lateral movement can leave gaps during quick transitions. Celtic would need him to improve those details rather than rely on his physical presence alone.
That caution matters because the money involved is not insignificant. Paying £13m for a player who has yet to establish himself consistently in Serie A would be a gamble, especially if his involvement at Torino continues to dwindle. A January move would make more sense if Celtic can secure a lower fee than the summer figure, or if Torino prove willing to accept a sensible loan structure with an obligation to buy. The sensible route would be to negotiate hard and force Torino to decide whether keeping an unsettled midfielder serves them better than accepting a reduced deal for a player Celtic already know well.
For now, the situation remains unresolved. Gineitis is still a Torino player, and there has been no public indication that the Italian club has softened its stance on his valuation. But the groundwork has been laid, the player’s agent has confirmed the football side of the move had support, and Celtic have shown they are willing to return to the table. Whether they can close the gap this time will depend on how desperate Torino become to move a player whose early-season minutes have been limited, and whether Celtic’s financial position has improved enough to make a serious offer stick.
According to Yahoo Sports.