Bosnian international Ermin Mahmić is closest to a move to the Scottish giants. Czech sources claim Celtic has already contacted Slovan Liberec, and the transfer could become the biggest in the club's history.
Ermin Mahmić, the 21-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international, is edging closer to a major career leap. According to Czech media reports, the young Slovan Liberec player is closest to a move to Scottish side Celtic, with the Glasgow club already making contact with the Czech side, as reported by N1 BiH.
His impressive performances last season, particularly at the World Cup for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, have significantly boosted interest in his services. Slovan is well aware that holding onto one of their most valuable players will be extremely difficult, but his departure could bring the club a profit they have never seen before.
Sources disagree on the exact amount Slovan is asking for Mahmić. N1 BiH reports that the Liberec club wants around eight million euros, while the Twitter profile Přestupový Kolotoč mentions a range of 7 to 8 million euros (170 to 194 million crowns). Klix.ba, on the other hand, reports that the club has stated they will not sell Mahmić for less than 8 to 12 million euros, noting that a transfer of around 8 million euros would be an absolute record for Slovan.
If the transfer were to be completed for these amounts, Mahmić would also become the most expensive player ever to leave the Czech league outside the top three clubs. The current record is held by Milan Baroš, who moved from Baník to Liverpool in 2001 for 7 million euros.
According to Czech media, Slovan's owner Ondřej Kania is also involved in the negotiations, which further underscores how serious the possibility of Mahmić's departure has become. Czech source inFotbal, as reported by Klix.ba, states that the potential transfer has entered a phase where Celtic is gathering all information about the player and Slovan's demands. The Scottish club also has other options on their list for the same position.
Mahmić has already turned down several offers this summer. The most serious suitors were Basel and Red Bull Salzburg, who were willing to pay around 4 to 5 million euros plus a sell-on percentage, but the player rejected the moves. He also declined an offer from French club Toulouse, as reported by inFotbal. There was also interest from Germany, but no concrete transfer has materialized yet.
His value has risen thanks to a successful World Cup, where he scored two goals despite very limited playing time. Mahmić has been training individually in Austria for a long time while waiting for the transfer situation to resolve.
Czech media report that the situation during the transfer window was complicated by the way a new club was sought. According to reports, Mahmić and his family gave several agents the opportunity to work on the transfer, which led to the player being offered to many teams. This approach was not well received by some clubs, and there was also a dispute with the agency that previously represented the Bosnian international. These issues have now been resolved, removing obstacles for a potential transfer.
Talks with the Scottish giants are currently the most serious, and if the two sides reach an agreement on the fee, Mahmić could soon leave the Czech Republic for Glasgow.
