Celtic Eye €10m Torino Midfielder After Engels Exit: Right Decision?

Celtic Eye €10m Torino Midfielder After Engels Exit: Right Decision? Scottish journalist Giacomo Morandin, referenced by Europa Calcio , broke the story that Celtic FC are coming back to Torino with a fresh bid for Lithuanian midfielder Gvidas Gineitis, contingent on the Hoops booking a spot in the UEFA Champions League group stage proper. The report confirmed Celtic had already seen an opening offer of approximately €7.5 million rejected by the Turin club. Since then, Torino president Urbano Cairo has revised his valuation upward to €10 million, citing the player’s rising profile through a strong 2025-26 Serie A campaign. Celtic ‘s plan to use Champions League qualification money is deliberate. Group-stage revenue gives the club a guaranteed financial buffer, and O’Neill’s board appears intent on using precisely that windfall to bridge the gap between their previous bid and Cairo’s new asking price. Torino, for their part, aren’t actively forcing a sale, but they’ve openly acknowledged that player departures are necessary to fund three or four incoming transfers planned for the Italian side. That financial pressure from Via Filadelfia is quietly working in Celtic’s favour. The situation, though, has grown complicated. Reports from Italian journalist Nicolo Schira in early August 2026 suggest Torino’s internal valuation has since climbed to somewhere between €13 million and €15 million, considerably above the figure cited in the Europa Calcio report. Celtic reportedly submitted an improved bid of around €10 million, which Torino rejected. Crystal Palace have also entered the conversation, adding competitive urgency. Then Gineitis started Torino’s Coppa Italia opener against Carrarese last weekend, completing the full 90 minutes, which sent another mixed signal to every interested club. Celtic’s pursuit of the 22-year-old directly stems from the £22 million departure of Arne Engels to West Ham United . Losing a midfielder of that calibre creates an obvious void, and the board under O’Neill has clearly identified Gineitis as the profile to fill it. T4O take: Is it the right decision now for Celtic? CREMONA, ITALY – APRIL 19: Gvidas Gineitis of Torino FC in action during the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Torino FC at Stadio Giovanni Zini on April 19, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images) Now for the honest assessment, and it’s a compelling one. Gineitis registered 29 Serie A appearances in 2025-26, clocking 1,767 minutes, contributing one assist and creating 17 chances while maintaining a 78% passing completion rate. He stands 1.91 metres tall. Left-footed. Physically imposing in a way that Serie A’s relentless midfield combat actively tests, week in and week out. The 45 tackles and 77 loose ball recoveries he accumulated last season aren’t empty numbers. They represent genuine defensive authority in one of Europe’s most physically demanding leagues. Against Carrarese in the Coppa Italia, he completed 40 of 46 passes at 87% accuracy and delivered seven passes into the final third. That’s not a passenger. Celtic’s midfield need is real. Callum McGregor won’t play forever, and Oxlade-Chamberlain carries injury question marks. Gineitis offers something specific: progressive vertical passing, physical durability, and a defensive work rate that can genuinely compete in European knockout football. His 32 international caps for Lithuania, including three goals in eight World Cup qualifiers, signal a player performing consistently outside comfortable territory. The fee, even at €10 million, represents smart business if Champions League qualification gets secured. Torino’s own financial position, with sporting director Gianluca Petrachi confirming the club need to recoup funds after a roughly €20 million operating shortfall this season, does suggest their resolve has a ceiling. Celtic just need to find it, and quickly, before RB Salzburg do.