Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media

Jack Dawson

Wed 6 May 2026 14:11, UK

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Soufiane El-Faouzi has become the latest midfielder to be linked to Celtic in recent weeks ahead of the summer transfer window.

The 23-year-old has helped Schalke 04 return to the Bundesliga this season after they won the 2 Bundesliga title.

The midfielder was key to this success, starting in all 32 league matches as they confirmed promotion with two games to spare.

Now, Sky Sports Germany on 4 May has confirmed that the Hoops are eyeing a deal for El-Faouzi this summer.

A £10.37million deal has been touted, in what would be an ambitious Celtic deal.

Soufiane El-Faouzi would be a revolutionary Celtic signing

Celtic are not the only teams linked to El-Faouzi this summer, with Brentford, Bologna and Sunderland also showing interest.

Nevertheless, Schalke are keen to keep hold of their star man, and based on the stats, it is no wonder why.

According to Fotmob on 6 May, El-Faouzi is a creative mastermind and has no trouble making chances for his teammates.

Despite being a defensive midfielder, he is averaging 1.55 chances created, 0.35 big chances created, 0.22 xA and 0.16 assists in the 2 Bundesliga per 90 minutes.

This is on top of his excellent defensive work, with him averaging 3.01 tackles, 5.61 recoveries and 0.38 clean sheets per match.

𝙍𝗔𝗨𝗙 𝗚𝗘𝗛𝗧’𝗦 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗘! #S04 #HOCHMALOCHT pic.twitter.com/dmsdDMvcL3

— FC Schalke 04 (@s04) May 2, 2026

As a result, every sign points to the fact that El-Faouzi could be a huge success in Scotland if Celtic completes the deal.

Therefore, a deal would be some coup for the club as they look to reassert their dominance in Scotland once more.

Who else are Celtic linked to?

Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Celtic are also pursuing a deal for Venezia star Issa Doumbia.

The midfielder is currently valued at £12million by the Serie B club after impressing throughout the campaign.

Celtic were previously linked with a move for Doumbia before they signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer.

However, the Hoops now face substantial competition, with multiple Premier League and Serie A clubs also showing interest in the star.

As a result, it remains to be seen if Celtic will be able to seal the deal for either Doumbia or El-Faouzi, with a summer overhaul of the squad expected.