Louis Munteanu has broken his silence on Celtic’s transfer interest after scoring in Cluj’s 3-0 win over Paks last night.

The forward helped secure a dominant victory in the Europa League first qualifying round second leg, scoring in an emphatic 3-0 aggregate victory.

Emerging reports from Romania indicate that Celtic made a formal approach worth around €8 million (approximately £7 million) for Munteanu. However, that initial bid was reportedly rebuffed.

Cluj president Ioan Varga is holding firm on a significantly higher asking price. He has stated that discussions would only begin at a figure close to €18 million, just over £15 million at current exchange rates. That valuation leaves Celtic’s opening offer a long way off the mark, resulting in a deadlock for now.

The situation is further complicated by interest from several other European clubs. Rennes, Lille, and Nice are all said to be keeping tabs on Munteanu’s potential availability, adding pressure on Celtic’s recruitment team and manager Brendan Rodgers.

Munteanu said: “I don’t know, you have to ask the team owner.

“I don’t know anything. Until there’s something concrete, I’m not interested in words. I was behind in training, I’m fine now, I’m back and I think it was a little obvious that I’m not doing well.

“I want to play in the Romanian championship, for the moment. When it will be necessary for me to go, we will see.

“These things are beyond me. I feel very good here, I was appreciated from the first minute. I am a happy player here”

Despite Celtic’s interest and the noise around a move, Munteanu seems happy to stay at Cluj for now. His words show he’s focused on playing in Romania and will only think about leaving if a real offer comes in. That position could make things harder for Celtic if talks don’t move forward.

Celtic clearly need more options up front, but there’s still a big gap between what they’ve offered and what Cluj want. Brendan Rodgers now has to decide whether to raise the bid or turn his attention elsewhere.

Celtic don’t have much time to waste. With clubs in France showing serious interest and Munteanu content to stay put, the longer they wait, the harder it might be to get him. Rodgers and the recruitment team must now weigh up whether to meet the asking price or change their approach in the market.