Fares Ghedjemis: Celtic and Rangers Battle for Winger

The first shots of the season have barely been fired, but Celtic and Rangers are already locked in a familiar struggle. This time, the battleground is not Hampden or Ibrox or Celtic Park. It is a boardroom negotiation over Fares Ghedjemis – and the Algerian winger has just nudged the needle in one direction.

Celtic, after a sluggish start to their summer business, finally jolted into life with the arrival of Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Hogh, following Camilo Duran through the door. Those signings eased some anxiety in the stands, but they barely scratch the surface of what is required after a wave of departures from Parkhead.

Across the city, Rangers have gone for volume. Eight new faces have come in under Derek McInnes, a clear attempt to reshape the squad at pace. The draw with Dundee United on the opening day of the Scottish Premiership, though, underlined the obvious: this many changes will take time to settle. It was not the statement start the former Hearts manager craved as he chases revenge on Celtic and Martin O’Neill for last season’s title heartbreak on the final day.

Celtic were hardly sparkling either. A laboured 1–0 win over Dundee delivered the points but few answers. Both giants look short of their final form. Both know the margins will again be thin.

So they turn to the market. And to Ghedjemis.

Player preference swings towards Celtic

According to Celts Are Here, Fares Ghedjemis has shifted his stance. The 23-year-old, who resisted Celtic’s advances in January, is now open to a move to Glasgow – and, crucially, would rather join Celtic than Rangers.

That is a significant twist.

Six months ago, Celtic had a €6 million bid accepted by Frosinone for the Algeria international. The deal was there to be done. Ghedjemis chose differently. He stayed in Italy, rolled up his sleeves and helped Frosinone clinch promotion to Serie A. Mission accomplished.

Promotion has changed the landscape. Frosinone now hold a player proven in a successful campaign and on the cusp of facing Italy’s elite. They have responded by raising his price and betting that the lure of Serie A – and the chance to test himself against the giants of the Italian game – will keep him exactly where he is.

Rangers, though, have already tested that resolve. They have outbid Celtic, seeing an £8 million offer rejected. That figure underlines how highly they rate Ghedjemis and sets a new financial bar that Celtic, if they are serious, must now clear. The fee they had agreed in January is no longer enough.

So the equation is stark: Celtic have the player’s preference, Rangers have shown the bigger money.

Talks, tension and a club in no mood to sell

The next 48 hours could prove decisive. Frosinone are set to hold fresh talks over Ghedjemis’ future as interest in the winger intensifies across Europe.

The Old Firm are not circling alone. Clubs from France, Spain and Italy are tracking the 23-year-old, sensing that Frosinone’s promotion hero might be prised away with the right offer and the right project. Each new suitor strengthens the Italian club’s hand.

Celtic, for the moment, can lean on the player’s reported wish to wear green and white. That matters. When a player has a clear preference, it often shapes the outcome, even if it does not dictate the fee.

Rangers, by contrast, have made the louder financial statement. Their rejected £8 million bid sends a clear message: they are prepared to go deep to land a winger who could become a centrepiece of McInnes’ rebuild.

Frosinone, though, are under no pressure to fold. Freshly promoted, they are fighting to stay in Serie A and see Ghedjemis as one of their best weapons. They are in no mood to lose him cheaply, or quickly. Any club wanting him will have to navigate that resolve as much as the rivalry across Glasgow.

So the race sharpens. Celtic must decide how far they will stretch to match their sporting director’s admiration and the player’s preference. Rangers must weigh how much higher they can climb from an already rejected bid.

Somewhere between Glasgow’s ambition and Frosinone’s resistance lies the number that will decide where Fares Ghedjemis plays his football next season – and which side of the city claims the first major off-field victory of this title fight.