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News
- 1 hours ago
Celtic again linked with prolific striker: What's behind the rumour?
Tom Weber
- Updated: 29 Nov 2025 17:52 GMT
- 4 min read
Analysis
Incoming Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy has once again been tipped to raid the Columbus Crew for Wessam Abou Ali.
The Frenchman is set to take over at Parkhead shortly, although the process of appointing him has already dragged on for significantly longer than anyone would have anticipated.
Nancy has an agreement with Celtic in place, but there is still no official announcement, potentially due to some problems regarding the compensation the Columbus Crew are owed.
Current ETV
Wessam Abou Ali
F (C), AM (L)
Columbus
Wessam Abou Ali
F (C), AM (L)
Columbus
ETV Range
€5.4M - €7.3M
Nevertheless, speculation surrounding possible January signings is already rampant. With Daizen Maeda keen to take the next step in his career, a striker is likely to be top of the agenda for the Hoops in the upcoming window.
Earlier this week, reports claimed that Nancy could look to raid the Crew for striker Wessam Abou Ali, and this has now been echoed by Football Insider. However, this seems quite fanciful.
Why Celtic won't sign Abou Ali
The link between Celtic and Abou Ali is an easy one to make. You look at the players Nancy has coached, and the 26-year-old stands out because he is one of the most high-profile Palestinian footballers in the world.
Due to the plight of the Palestinian people and the fact that many have to play in exile, it is uncommon for talented players to get the chance to feature for 'big' clubs outside of the Arab world.
Abou Ali, born in Denmark, is a rare exception. Given that the Palestinian cause enjoys widespread support among the Celtic fanbase, there is an obvious connection to make between Nancy and his soon-to-be former player.
This is not to say that a move wouldn't be merited. On the contrary, Abou Ali scored prolifically for Al-Ahly, including at the Club World Cup, which really put his name on the map, and he started like a house on fire at Columbus.
The problem, though, is that he hasn't scored since September. Why? Because he has been injured since September! This is why a move to Celtic in January is far-fetched.
If the club desperately needs a striker, they surely won't sign someone who will not have played a competitive game in four months, especially considering that it would take a significant fee to prise him away from Columbus.
Abou Ali only joined the Crew for €6.4 million in the summer to become their next star striker following the January departure of Cucho Hernandez to Real Betis. Naturally, they won't want to make a loss on him.
So, you're at least looking at a fee similar to the almost €10m splashed on Adam Idah on a player who didn't have a proper pre-season due to his transfer and the different schedules between Egypt and the US and who has been injured for months.
Surely if Nancy were so keen on signing familiar players, he would turn to Diego Rossi, who scored 19 goals in 2025, or Jacen Russell-Rowe, who scored 10 goals and still has plenty of room for improvement at 23.
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