Who is Mory Gbane? Celtic 'ready move' to beat West Ham to deal

Mory Gbane could soon be on his way to Celtic in this summer's transfer window.

The 25-year-old midfielder currently plays for Reims in Ligue 2, and the Hoops are reportedly ready to make a move for the star.

In the 2025-26 campaign, the defensive midfielder made 26 appearances in the French second tier as the club narrowly missed out on the playoffs.

However, his form has seen interest in Gbane grow, with Celtic, West Ham United and Trabzonspor all credited with interest.

Reims are not opposed to a sale this summer, which does boost Martin O’Neill’s chance of getting a deal over the line.

Below, Football Insider has revealed everything fans need to know about the potential incoming.

Who is Mory Gbane?

After starting his career off in the Ivory Coast, Gbane made the move over to Croatia in 2019 to play for BSK Bijelo Brdo.

Here, he became an instant hit, which eventually earned him a move over to Russian side Khimki in 2022 on loan, which became permanent in 2023.

However, his stay in Russia did not last, and in 2023 he was loaned out to Gil Vicente in Portugal.

Here, he was a big success and the Portuguese club signed him on a permanent deal in 2024.

Over the next season and a half, Gbane established himself as one of the division’s most promising defensive midfielders, which led Reims to pick him up in February 2025.

For the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, the midfielder was unable to prevent the club’s relegation to Ligue 2. However, he was part of the team that reached the Coupe de France final, before they lost 3-0 to PSG.

Now, after another impressive season, Foot Mercato has linked Celtic to Gbane as the club searches for midfield additions.

On top of this, the 25-year-old is also an international for the Ivory Coast, and has two caps to his name since his debut in 2025.

How good is Gbane?

According to Fotmob on 10 July, Gbane had an excellent 2025-26 campaign.

Per 90 minutes, he averaged, 0.15 goals, a 0.12 xG, a 87.4 per cent passing accuracy, 0.86 successful dribbles, 2.03 aerial duels won, 1.72 tackles, 1.27 interceptions, 0.41 blocked shots and 2.13 clearances in Ligue 2.

Therefore, if Celtic get the signing over the line, he could become an instant hit.

However, it remains to be seen if they are able to win the race for his signature this transfer window.