GIUSEPPE AMBROSINO: CELTIC STILL IN THE HUNT
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 17
Things seem to have gone a bit quiet after last week’s exciting news that Celtic were, supposedly, in negotiations with representatives of Italian Under-21 international striker Giuseppe Ambrosino.
I reported late last week that Cremonese and Cagliari were also interested in acquiring Ambrosino’s services for next season. Then, reports emerged over the weekend that Napoli coach Antonio Conte wanted to “take some time to assess the player” over pre-season training, suggesting that Napoli may want to keep hold of this exciting young prospect after all.
However, in a sign of just how chaotic the job of covering summer transfer news can be, that story now appears to have been false. Cremonese have submitted an offer, believed to be around £2.5 million and Napoli are willing to discuss it further.
With no Comment from Ambrosino Celtic Still Have Some Hope
That, it would seem, is that. Cremonese have put up the cash and Napoli are open to doing a deal. However, if there’s one thing this protracted saga should tell you, it’s that nothing is over until the contract is signed.
There has been no comment from Ambrosino himself or his direct representatives regarding the potential move to Cremonese, nor have any of the reports outlining the Cremonese bid given any indication of the player’s feeling about the move.
This sits in stark contrast with how things went last week when Celtic’s interest first became public knowledge. It quickly emerged from multiple sources within Italy that Ambrosino was “excited about the prospect” of joining Celtic.
No such statements of enthusiasm have been forthcoming from the player or his representatives about the prospect of joining newly promoted Cremonese.
Now, we don't know what is on the player’s mind at this moment. Unfortunately, despite my many talents, telepathy is something I still struggle with.
However, if the statement about him being “very excited” about moving to Celtic was untrue, he would have very quickly made that known through his advisors. He didn't do that.
So, what we could have here is a conflict between what the parent club, Napoli, want to do with the player, and where the player himself wants to go next.
Celtic’s initial interest centered around the possibility of a loan with an option to buy. I said at the time that this made sense, since the player is still young and unproven at the top level.
Cremonese, though, have not entertained the loan option at all. From the moment they entered the fray, all the talk was of a permanent transfer.
I think Celtic may have initially been put off from making such a direct move by two factors. Firstly, it initially seemed like Ambrosino may still have a future at Napoli, but he needs to get first team football elsewhere to prove his worth.
However, Napoli’s eagerness to entertain a permanent transfer request from Cremonese refutes this.
Secondly, I think the general assumption, both from the media and perhaps from Celtic themselves is that, even though he isn't a first team player, simply being on the books of the Italian Serie A champions would command a fee far in excess of £2.5 million for a permanent signing.
After all, we have had to shell far more in recent times to land players of a similar age and profile such as Jota (the first time we signed him) and Paulo Bernardo.
However, if Napoli are ready to do a deal to permanently move on Ambrosino, Celtic could still, easily jump in with a better offer. After all, it seems common knowledge the player would rather come here than go to Cremonese.
With the greatest of respect to what is a far superior league, Cremonese will simply consider staying in Serie A to be a great success next year. Celtic will be looking to win every domestic prize going, and reach the knockout stages in the Champions League.
We also know from experience that for ambitious young players looking to, eventually, get that big money move to the EPL, Celtic offers a platform to do that.
If it were down to the player alone, I think Celtic may already have signed him. For the time being, if we are still interested in landing Ambrosino, then we need to submit a concrete offer of our own to Napoli, and soon.
