Marco Tilio has been named on the bench for Celtic’s friendly against Ajax, despite reportedly being close to a move to Rapid Vienna.
The Australian winger was expected to leave the club this week, with reports of a loan deal already agreed. But his place in the squad for the match in Italy suggests the move has not yet been completed.
Tilio’s switch to Rapid Vienna was said to include a loan fee of €400,000 and a clause that could make the move permanent. However, that only happens if the 23-year-old plays in 20 competitive matches for the Austrian side. If he hits that number, Rapid would then be required to pay €1.5 million to keep him permanently.
It had looked like Tilio’s short and quiet spell at Celtic was coming to an end. He joined in the summer of 2023 with high hopes, but struggled for game time under Brendan Rodgers and was limited to a handful of appearances.
The winger has also had injury setbacks since arriving in Glasgow, which hampered any chance of building momentum. With Celtic looking to strengthen their wide options again this summer, Tilio’s path into the team looked even more difficult.
Now, with his inclusion on the bench tonight, it’s unclear whether the deal is being delayed or if something has changed behind the scenes. Celtic have not confirmed if the transfer is still expected to go ahead, or when Tilio might travel to Austria.
With pre-season matches offering players one last chance to impress before the season kicks off, Tilio might yet get a final runout in green and white.
Whether it turns out to be a farewell appearance or just a temporary hold-up, the winger’s future is still up in the air.
