Gvidas Gineitis to Celtic January update after confirmed news
Celtic remain interested in signing Torino star Gvidas Gineitis ahead of the January window, sources have told Football Insider.
Gineitis emerged as Celtic's top midfield target throughout the summer as they looked to bolster Martin O'Neill's ranks.
They remained keen on his services right up until the Scottish transfer deadline, and did come close to agreeing a deal with Torino.
The deal ultimately fell apart late on, with reports stating that Celtic's £9million proposal was below the Serie A side's £13m valuation of his services.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, Celtic are planning to return to the table to sign Gineitis and may make a new offer in January.
His agent has admitted that Celtic's coaching staff were keen on signing him but the move broke down because of disagreements at board level.
Gvidas Gineitis may still end up at Celtic after Torino saga
Celtic have been handed a boost to their chances of signing Gineitis after he was taken off at half-time in Torino's recent loss to Roma, with reports stating that he could lose his place in the starting eleven soon.
The two clubs could reach an agreement in January for him to move to Parkhead, particuarly if Celtic are forced to invest to better compete with Rangers in the title race.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "We know that Celtic had a very strong interest in Gineitis, but obviously they struggled to agree on a fee with Torino for the Lithuanian international.
"The failure to qualify for the Champions League dented Celtic's chances of signing Gineitis. They would have had more money to spend, so maybe that affected things. He's a long-term target for Celtic. I'm sure they'll continue to keep tabs on him."
What has Gineitis' agent said about failed Celtic move?
Sources exclusively revealed to Football Insider last month that Gineitis was keen on joining Celtic to play European football.
His agent, Dmitry Vinokuro, recently offered an insight into the failed talks with Celtic to Lithuanian media outlet LRT, saying: "I think if they (Celtic) had qualified for the Champions League, then we would have had more chances for this transfer. I think then Celtic would have satisfied the wishes of the Turin club. They would have just known that they would get more money from the Champions League, and they would have needed a stronger player.
"Personal terms with Guido (Gineitis) were never agreed. Celtic said they wanted to reach an agreement with Torino first. It’s usually the other way around. I can say that the interest from the coaching staff and their sports people was genuine. We had a video call with the coaches, they were very positive about Guido.
"I think the main problem was that not everyone in the club’s management was as convinced about this transfer as the coaches. So, in the end, it all came down to Celtic’s final decision. When you’re making a transfer of this financial level, everyone on the buyer’s side has to agree."