Personal terms with Celtic were never agreed, Gineitis' agent reveals

Lithuanian midfielder Gvidas Gineitis spent the summer at the centre of transfer speculation but ultimately stayed with Italian club Torino. His agent, Dmitry Vinokurov, told LRT.lt that the 22-year-old drew interest from clubs in Scotland, England, Germany, Belgium, Turkey and Austria, with Celtic and Red Bull Salzburg among the most serious suitors, alongside Crystal Palace, Southampton and Leeds United. Torino had set an asking price of 8 million euros, and Gineitis remains under contract until the summer of 2029.

Celtic talks stalled

Celtic's interest became public early in the summer, but serious negotiations with Torino only began in late August. Talks initially stalled over Torino's dissatisfaction with the proposed fee. Celtic hoped that Champions League qualification would provide the necessary funds, but the club failed to advance after a collapse against Austrian side LASK.

According to Vinokurov, Celtic tried to first agree a transfer fee with Torino before discussing personal terms with the player, reversing the usual order — meaning personal terms with Gineitis were never finalised. He said Celtic's coaching staff, including manager Martin O'Neill, was genuinely keen, but not everyone in the club's leadership was equally convinced. Celtic ultimately signed cheaper alternatives instead: Joel van den Berg from PSV and Oliver Sorensen on loan from Parma. Vinokurov added that O'Neill later told the board that missing out on Gineitis contributed to the LASK collapse.

Salzburg deal also collapsed

Gineitis also came close to joining Red Bull Salzburg, where personal terms were essentially agreed. However, Salzburg wanted to structure the deal as a player-plus-cash exchange involving Danish midfielder Maurits Kjaergaard, which Torino rejected. Kjaergaard was later sold to Lille, but by then it was too late to revive the Gineitis move.

Premier League remains the target

Crystal Palace had considered Gineitis as a possible replacement for Adam Wharton, who ultimately stayed at the club. Southampton have monitored the midfielder for about a year. Vinokurov said Gineitis' long-term ambition remains a move to the Premier League, citing his physical strength and preparation as suited to that style of football.

A January move remains possible, with Celtic, Salzburg and other clubs expected to keep monitoring Gineitis. He has started all five of Torino's official matches this season and provided an assist against AC Milan. Torino claimed their first Serie A points of the season on Saturday, beating Fiorentina 2-1 away, and currently sit 14th in the table.