Celtic STUNNED by Fabrizio Romano 'here we go' announcement

Tom Weber

Updated: 23 Jan 2026 17:32 GMT
6 min read

Galatasaray have agreed a deal with Girona for Celtic target Yaser Asprilla, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Colombia international is heading to Istanbul rather than Glasgow this month. Celtic had been heavily linked with Asprilla in recent days, but the Hoops were ultimately unable to compete with the wealthier competition.

Earlier on Friday, reports claimed that Celtic were battling with LaLiga and Championship clubs for the signature of the 22-year-old. However, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports that Galatasaray have now won the race for his signature after reaching a verbal agreement with Girona.

Current ETV

Yáser Asprilla

F, M (R)

Girona

Yáser Asprilla

F, M (R)

Girona

ETV Range

€16.3M - €20M

What likely tipped the balance in the Istanbul giants' favour was their willigness to include a sizeable purchase obligation in the deal to sign the winger. The clause is tied to the number of appearances Asprilla makes and could rise to as high as €23 million.

Celtic, whose most expensive signing is Jota at €16.2m, would have struggled to pay a fee that high for a player who has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot this term.

Celtic miss out on Asprilla

Asprilla joined Girona in a club-record €18m deal from Watford in the summer of 2024. He made 33 appearances for the Catalans last season, including six in the Champions League, but he has only made eight starts this term, playing fewer than 800 minutes.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, the 11-cap Colombia international was keen to leave the LaLiga side this month in a bid to get regular game time under his belt elsewhere.

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A post shared by Cheo Asprilla (@yaser_asprilla_10)

Unfortunately for Asprilla, Girona's recent upturn in form came at his expense. The relegation battlers have won four of their last five games, but the youngster only played 30 minutes across those matches.

After missing out on Asprilla, Celtic could reignite their long-standing interest in Crystal Palace prospect Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who is expected to leave Selhurst Park permanently this month. He has been recalled from a promising loan spell in Turkey.

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