Ghedjemis Chooses Celtic Over Rangers in Transfer Battle
The first shots of the new Scottish season have already been fired on the pitch. Now the real fight has moved to the boardroom.
Fares Ghedjemis, the winger coveted by both Celtic and Rangers, has reportedly made up his mind. If he leaves Frosinone, he wants Parkhead, not Ibrox.
For Celtic, that’s a badly needed win in a window that has started more with a shuffle than a sprint. For Rangers, it’s a reminder that even an aggressive rebuild does not guarantee they get the man they want.
Celtic edge ahead in the player’s mind
The line out of Celts Are Here is clear: Ghedjemis is now open to joining Celtic and, crucially, would prefer a move to the Hoops over crossing the city to Rangers.
This is not a brand‑new courtship. Celtic had a €6m bid accepted by Frosinone back in January. At that point, the Algeria international chose loyalty and ambition in Italy over a mid-season leap to Glasgow, staying to drive Frosinone’s promotion push. It paid off. They went up. He kept his word.
Promotion, though, has changed the landscape. Frosinone now sit at the top table in Serie A and have reacted exactly as you’d expect a newly promoted club with a prized asset to react: they’ve raised the price.
From their perspective, the lure of facing Italy’s elite should be enough to keep the 23-year-old where he is. If someone wants to prise him away, they’ll have to pay for that privilege.
Rangers bid big – but money isn’t everything
Rangers, under new manager Derek McInnes, have not been shy. Eight signings are already through the door as the former Hearts boss tries to reshape a squad still stung by last season’s final-day title heartbreak at the hands of Celtic and Martin O’Neill.
They’ve also gone harder financially for Ghedjemis. An £8m offer has already been knocked back by Frosinone, outstripping Celtic’s previously accepted €6m bid from January.
That tells its own story. Rangers are prepared to push the fee. Celtic, at least so far, have not gone that high.
Yet the tug of war is no longer just about numbers on a balance sheet. With the player leaning towards Celtic, the Ibrox club face the uncomfortable reality that they can offer more money and still lose out.
Slow starts, sharp stakes
On the pitch, neither side has landed a statement blow to start the league campaign.
Rangers stumbled out of the blocks with a draw against Dundee United, not the opening McInnes would have scripted as he tries to build momentum and exact revenge for last season’s title collapse.
Celtic, for their part, hardly sparkled either. A narrow 1-0 win over Dundee brought three points but few fireworks. Still, in a title race that already feels like it could run long and tight, early points matter more than early style.
Both clubs know the margins at the top of the Premiership are thin. That’s why this transfer matters. Ghedjemis is not just another winger; he’s a potential swing factor in a season that could again be decided by a single result, a single moment, a single burst of quality.
New talks, old rivalry
The next 48 hours are shaping up as pivotal. Frosinone are set for fresh talks over Ghedjemis’ future as interest builds across Europe.
Celtic and Rangers are not alone in the chase. Clubs from France, Spain and Italy are tracking the Algerian, sensing an opportunity if the numbers make sense and if Frosinone’s resistance softens.
Celtic currently hold the advantage where it matters most to any manager: in the player’s head. Rangers, though, have shown the greater willingness to stretch financially. Somewhere between those two positions sits Frosinone, determined not to lose one of their standout performers just as they step into Serie A.
Someone will have to blink. Someone will have to compromise.
The Old Firm have fought over titles, managers, and moments that define eras. Now they’re fighting over a 23-year-old winger who has the chance to tilt the balance of power in Glasgow.
If Ghedjemis does choose Celtic, and if they find a fee Frosinone can’t refuse, how long before Rangers feel the impact of losing a battle they were ready to overpay to win?
