Sarpsborg Sporting Director Provides Key Update on £7m Celtic Target

Sarpsborg sporting director Hampus Andersson has provided a critical update regarding Celtic transfer target Sondre Ørjasæter as deadline day nears.

Hampus Andersson looks on during a training match between Häcken and Odds BK during March of 2022 in Gothenburg. / Mandatory Credit: Michael Erichsen

Celtic have been in pursuit of multiple players ahead of the nearing deadline day in an attempt to fill some of the gaps in their squad. Between Mathias Kvistgaarden, Tyrell Malacia, and now Sondre Ørjasæter, things have begun to ramp up with only a few days remaining to make moves.

In a recent update, it was reported that Sarpsborg rejected the initial offer from Celtic for Ørjasæter of around £4.4 million.

The updates continue to come in regarding Ørjasæter however, as most recently sporting director of Sarpsborg Hampus Andersson provided information regarding their stance on a transfer.

According to Eirik Nesset Hjelvik, Andersson said to TV 2: "We expect that there will be offers for Sondre in the next few days which we will have to make a serious assessment of."

This is a hugely positive sign for Celtic as they continue to pursue the 21-year-old winger, as it shows that Sarpsborg might be willing to consider a deal, and are viewing the transfer as a real possibility.

The possibility of adding another winger is an intriguing one for Celtic, as they have brought back Jota from Rennes in this window, and already have Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kühn on the wings.

With that said, the potential for Maeda to move to striker if Celtic were to get Ørjasæter rather than bring in another striker such as Kvistgaarden is there.

With Luis Palma on the move, having additional cover on the wings could never hurt, and bringing in competition to attempt to sort out the striker position is not a bad idea overall.

The current understanding is that Sarpsborg would be looking for approximately a £7 million transfer fee for Ørjasæter, which is no doubt a substantial figure for a player who has only 32 matches under his belt at his current club.

With that said, he has been exceptional in the playing time he has received, registering six goals and seven assists in those 32 matches, and has shown immense promise for a youngster.

With Kyogo Furuhashi heading out for Rennes, adding a youngster to the forward line in his place for the long-term future does make sense, as much as it is difficult to replace his exceptional production over three-and-a-half seasons in a Celtic jersey.

Ultimately, we will see where the eventual final bid lands between Celtic and Sarpsborg, whether they find a middle-ground fee or the Hoops end up being willing to pay the asking figure for the winger. It might end up affecting the Kvistgaarden situation as well.