Celtic Eye Yves Bissouma Move After Champions League Exit

Celtic are weighing up a move for former Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma as Martin O’Neill searches for a solution to his side’s soft centre.

The 29-year-old is a free agent after leaving Spurs, a status that instantly makes him a live option for the Scottish champions as they pick through a midfield that crumbled on the biggest stage.

Midfield rethink after LASK collapse

Celtic’s interest comes in the wake of that bruising Champions League exit to LASK, a night in Austria when O’Neill’s team lost control in the middle of the pitch and never truly recovered. They couldn’t keep the ball, couldn’t win it back quickly enough, and paid a heavy price.

Bissouma’s profile speaks directly to that problem. The Mali international carries years of Premier League experience and built his reputation on breaking up play, pinching possession in tight spaces and then driving through pressure with the ball at his feet. He offers bite, mobility and a route out of a press – the exact traits Celtic lacked during their European collapse.

Ajax and Başakşehir join the chase

Celtic, though, are not alone.

Journalist Lassana Camara reports that the Glasgow club are “closely following” Bissouma’s situation, but notes that Ajax and İstanbul Başakşehir are also circling as the transfer window ticks towards its close.

Camara outlines the picture clearly: Ajax Amsterdam have registered their interest and would like to take Bissouma to the Netherlands. In Turkey, İstanbul Başakşehir FK are studying the same opportunity. In Scotland, Celtic are tracking developments and weighing their move.

After several seasons in the Premier League, Bissouma now stands at a crossroads, free to choose his next challenge in Europe. The decision will not drag on for long. As Camara points out, the coming hours should bring sharper focus to where the Malian midfielder plays his next game – and whether Celtic’s search for midfield authority finds its answer in him.