Celtic’s pursuit of Hammarby winger Sebastian Tounekti looks to have hit a major roadblock, with the Swedish club publicly shutting the door on a potential sale, at least for now.

Despite multiple bids from Celtic, including a reported £3.9 million offer, Hammarby have made their position clear. It was thought that the side was holding out for £6.25.

Speaking to Fotbollskanalen, sporting director Mikael Hjelmberg confirmed that while talks with Celtic have taken place, the club’s stance is firm – Tounekti will remain in Sweden for the remainder of the year.

“I have informed Celtic and Seb that he will play for Hammarby this autumn,” Hjelmberg stated, adding that the Tunisia international “took it well” when told of the decision.

When asked if Celtic are likely to return with another offer before the window closes, Hjelmberg wouldn’t rule it out entirely but reiterated that Hammarby’s ambition is to retain the 23-year-old. “I don’t know, actually. I have received a few calls from them earlier in the day. I have been quite clear to them that our ambition is to keep Seb,” he said.

Celtic have been desperate to add quality in wide areas after a frustrating summer window that has left Brendan Rodgers with limited trusted options out wide. Michel-Ange Balikwisha has already arrived from Royal Antwerp, but it’s clear that the manager still wants another winger through the door.

With time running out before Monday’s transfer deadline, it remains to be seen whether Celtic return with an improved offer – potentially in the region of £6m – that might force Hammarby to reconsider.