David Strelec has admitted he’s finally moved on from the collapse of his proposed switch to Celtic, but the striker remains a player to watch after a standout campaign in Slovakia.
Strelec, who has long been on Celtic’s radar, refused to feature in the immediate aftermath of the failed deal before resolving matters with his club and going on to net 20 goals as Slovan secured another league title.
Despite his earlier disappointment, the 24-year-old now insists his focus is fully on the season ahead with Slovan, where he’s looking to build on a career-best campaign.
He said: (TCW), “I thought about the failed transfer for a while, I admit, about two weeks, then I got myself together.
“As it turned out, I got injured anyway after it.
“But in the end, everything turned out well and I’m glad I stayed.
“It was my best season so far. It started with the European Championships, after which I joined Slovan after a short break. I didn’t even have a long break, which actually helped me.
“I did really well for both Slovan and the national team.
“We have achieved great success in recent years.
“I definitely feel the expectations have risen here.
“I think people are now expecting at least the Europa League group stages, but it’s not that easy. But nothing is impossible.
“But of course our aim is to play in the Champions League again.”
Strelec’s standout season has naturally reignited interest in his future, but there’s no indication of fresh movement from Celtic, or any other club, at this stage.
For now, Strelec is set to stay where he is and wants to build on what he did last season. Whether Celtic come back in for him later is still up in the air.
