Celtic failed in a last minute approach for Swedish starlet Paulos Abraham, as the AIK striker opted to make a £2m switch to Dutch side Groningen. The 18-year-old was the subject of interest from Feyenoord and Celtic but the player decided to go for the smaller club and Swedish TV pundit Patrick Ekwall has claimed that the spotlight of Celtic may have scared the player off.
As reported by The Sun, Ekwall said that Groningen will be a better move for the Sweden U21 striker because of the pressures surrounding a club like Celtic.
“I don’t know why Paulos rejected Celtic, but I think Groningen is the better choice for his career.
“With him being so young if he was thrown into the spotlight and high pressure that surrounds Celtic, it could have ended badly.
“Groningen and playing in the Eredivisie offer a little more security for him.”
The player appears to have decided on steady progression as opposed to the expectations of going to Scotland and having all the expectations that come with a kid dubbed a superstar in the making in Glasgow.
The Scottish Champions reportedly came in with an offer that was accepted by the Swedish club but the player had his sights set on a move to the Dutch side. Celtic signed Virgil Van Dijk from Groningen, giving him the platform to push on and become one of the best defenders in world football. However, with Brexit players might struggle to make the move to Glasgow.
