Trabzonspor are reported to be showing interest in signing Albian Ajeti.
The striker has a contract worth around £40,000 per week running until June 2024 with Celtic keen to offload the former West Ham striker.
On Tuesday bottom of the Turkish table Gaziantep FK were reported to be talking to Ajeti with the prospect of the striker flying to Turkey today is discussions progressed.
That news and the work of a hungry agent would have alerted others to the availability of a former Swiss internationalist with Karadeniz Gazete reporting:
Striker Albian Ajeti, with whom Gaziantep FK is in talks, is also in contact with Trabzonspor.
Managers suggested the striker to Trabzonspor. Trabzonspor, who wanted to buy the football player 3 years ago, is wondering what kind of decision will be made.
It was stated that the transfer might be difficult if the claret and blue side were also involved.
#FLAŞ | 🔥#Trabzonspor‘a forvet önerisi: Albian Ajeti🔥 https://t.co/9ijwDgRp8O
— Karadeniz (@Karadeniz_Gzts) August 30, 2023
Ajeti will forever be linked with Vasilis Barkas as Celtic splashed out £10m in the summer of 2020 with both players virtually worthless by the end of their first season in Scotland.
Ange Postecoglou tried to revive both men but quickly gave up on Barkas, Ajeti showed signs of life with three goals in two matches against Ross County and Real Betis but it was a short lived revival.
Giorgos Giakoumakis stepped in to replace Kyogo Furuhashi in January 2022 with the goals from the Greek powering Celtic to the title from a seemingly impossible position at the start of the season.
Ajeti did feature in Celtic’s first pre-season match of the 22/23 season, playing in the second half of the 7-0 win over Weiner Viktoria that saw Jonny Kenny and Rocco Vata on the scoresheet.
A season on loan at Sturm Graz followed but it didn’t seem to benefit any party with the Austrians diplomatically dropping their interest.
Ajeti hasn’t been pictured in Scotland since Brendan Rodgers took over and was left out of the squads that travelled to Portugal and Japan in pre-season.
A move to Turkey would finally draw a line under a very costly chapter in Celtic’s recent history.
