Sebastian Tounekti has disclosed that he was required to persuade Hammarby to authorise his transfer to Celtic, acknowledging that the Swedish club was hesitant to permit him to depart during their title pursuit.
On Sunday, the 23-year-old winger made an immediate impact, garnering man-of-the-match honours in his debut against Kilmarnock. Despite having inked a five-year contract with Hammarby just months prior, his £5m transfer to Celtic was only finalised on deadline day, following weeks of uncertainty.
Celtic completed and announced the transaction with approximately one hour remaining on a deadline day that was exceedingly frustrating.
In explaining the saga, Tounekti elucidated the reasons for the deal’s complexity.
“I held Hammarby in high regard,” he stated in an interview with CeltsAreHere. “Hammarby, they were unwilling to sell.” I comprehend that, of course. He stated, “In their position, they were competing for the title and for Europa.”
“I truly comprehended that Hammarby was not interested in selling; however, I engaged in productive discussions with the coach and articulated my sentiments regarding a potential transfer to Celtic. I had the impression that my voice was being acknowledged. Hammarby deserves immense respect for their ability to achieve this.
Tounekti had been a target of Celtic for a significant portion of the summer. However, the deal was delayed for weeks and appeared to be on the brink of collapse due to Hammarby’s reluctance to lose him during a critical period of their season. A breakthrough was ultimately achieved in the final hours of the window.
The winger has already demonstrated glimpses of the reason Brendan Rodgers was so eager to acquire him at Celtic Park. His direct running and creativity were among the few bright points in Ayrshire, and he is expected to play a significant role as the Hoops attempt to settle themselves after a turbulent summer.
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