The Smajlovic saga is over – and it didn’t end the way we wanted, with the Swedish centre-back heading to Greece rather than Glasgow as Celtic’s defensive recruitment stalls again.
Zinedin Smajlovic will join Olympiacos rather than Celtic this summer, with the Greek club agreeing a €5 million deal with Sandefjord – the biggest sale in the Norwegian club’s history – ending a pursuit that had been simmering since the early weeks of the window. According to Swedish outlet Expressen, the agreement includes potential add-ons of up to €1 million, taking the total to around €6 million.
The chase had been more protracted than most supporters realised. Norwegian outlet TV2 first reported Celtic’s contact with Sandefjord back in early summer, after the Swedish-Bosnian centre-back had put together a standout season in Norway and earned a place in the 2025 Team of the Season. From that point, the queue only lengthened – Olympiacos, Hull City, Fenerbahçe, Toulouse, Feyenoord, and Lyon were all reported to be circling at various stages, with Sandefjord making clear they would not move cheaply.
Celtic and Olympiacos both reportedly had earlier offers in the €3.5–4 million range rejected, with Sandefjord holding firm closer to their €5 million valuation. Italian journalist Rudy Galetti claimed Celtic eventually submitted an improved proposal of €4.5 million fixed plus €2 million in bonuses – a meaningful commitment – but Sandefjord held their nerve with Olympiacos willing to go higher and faster. Let’s be honest: losing that battle hurts, but paying over the odds for a player with 39 senior appearances to his name was never without risk either.
WHERE THAT LEAVES US
Here’s the thing – losing Smajlovic is one thing, but the wider picture is what should concern us. Martin O’Neill needed defensive reinforcements weeks ago, the league campaign is almost upon us, and there is a UEFA Champions League play-off tie in the near distance that we cannot afford to approach half-prepared. The Kairat Almaty humiliation of last year should still sting enough to sharpen minds in the boardroom.
Camilo Duran’s potential move from Qarabag remains unresolved, with his agent currently in Glasgow to thrash out personal terms but no deal yet agreed between the clubs. It has the uncomfortable feel of another negotiation being dragged out over a fee that, in the context of what Sandefjord just extracted from Olympiacos, looks modest. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain signing a new one-year deal is welcome continuity, but it isn’t improvement.
Smajlovic will now travel to Olympiacos’ pre-season base in the Netherlands to complete his medical under José Luis Mendilibar. For Celtic, attention shifts to alternative targets – and quickly. The pursuit of Tjark Ernst from Hertha shows there is activity, but activity without conclusion is just noise at this point in the summer. We need bodies, and we need them now.
Mon The Hoops.