Hammarby sporting director Mikael Hjelmberg has revealed Sebastian Tounekti’s determination to join Celtic played a role in the Swedish club’s decision to accept the Scottish champions’ offer.
Hammarby had been reluctant to part with Tounekti, who only joined the club last winter, but ultimately sanctioned the move once the final bid arrived.
According to Hjelmberg, the size of Celtic’s offer, combined with the player’s own wish to make the switch, left the Stockholm side with little choice but to cash in. He also pointed to Tounekti’s development as proof of the club’s strong scouting and player growth system.
He said: (Hammarby Fotboll), “Our ambition has always been to keep Sebastian during the summer window, but the final offer Celtic made was so lucrative that we valued the financial aspect in relation to what we would lose in terms of sport.
“With the options we have in our offensive positions, as well as Sebastian’s own will, the assessment is that the best thing for Hammarby is to accept Celtic’s offer.
“He has taken huge steps since he joined us last winter, and it is a good mark for the development environment we have in our operations, and an equally good mark for our scouting operations that we identified and brought in a player who has delivered at such a high level from the start.”
For Celtic, signing Tounekti was one of the few positives in a transfer window where several big targets were missed. Rodgers had been calling out for new attackers, and the winger’s arrival gives the team extra speed and flexibility in the forward areas.
Hammarby confirming the player wanted the move will please fans who have doubted the hunger of some new signings. Tounekti’s determination to get the deal done shows Celtic are adding a player who is keen to make his mark in Glasgow.
The move also highlights Celtic’s continued appeal in Scandinavia, a region the club has often recruited well from in the past. If Tounekti adapts quickly, the deal could turn out to be one of the key signings of the summer.
Rodgers will now hope the winger hits the ground running and provides the energy and spark needed to lift his squad after a difficult few months in the transfer market.
