
Photo: Foot Mercato
Celtic beat Marseille to Egypt's World Cup revelation
Celtic have signed Haissem Hassan, the winger who made Egypt's World Cup campaign genuinely watchable — and according to Foot Mercato, they did it by seeing off reported interest from Marseille. For a club that has spent years trying to make the Champions League group stage feel like a destination rather than a one-night stay, landing a player of Hassan's recent profile is a statement of intent — if the deal holds up to a second source.
Player
Haissem Hassan — 24-year-old winger, Egypt international. One of the more eye-catching players at the most recent World Cup, Hassan gave Egypt a genuine attacking threat and caught the attention of clubs well beyond Scotland's borders.
Current club
Hassan arrives at Celtic Park having been on the radar of clubs across Europe following his World Cup performances. His previous club details are not confirmed in the current sourcing.
Linked club
Marseille were among the clubs reported to have shown interest. That Celtic have apparently come out on top is notable — Marseille are not a club that typically loses these battles quietly.
Source
Foot Mercato are reporting the deal as done. No corroborating outlet has confirmed it at time of writing, and Celtic have not issued an official announcement. Treat this as credible but unverified until a second source or the club itself confirms.
Reliability
Foot Mercato is a well-regarded French outlet with a solid track record on Ligue 1-adjacent moves. One source is one source, though — this is a strong rumour, not a confirmed transfer.
What's being claimed
Hassan has signed for Celtic, ending what Foot Mercato describes as a transfer saga. The outlet reports the deal is done. Contract length and any transfer fee are not disclosed in the current reporting.
What would make sense
Celtic under Brendan Rodgers have been quietly building a squad capable of making noise in Europe, not just coasting through the Scottish Premiership. A winger with World Cup pedigree and genuine pace in behind fits the profile — and at 24, Hassan is at the age where a move to a high-intensity, high-profile club like Celtic is a logical next step. The fact that Marseille were apparently in the picture only adds weight to the idea that Hassan had real options. He chose Parkhead.
Marseille, for the record, did not look like a club that was about to lose this one.
What still needs to happen
Celtic need to confirm the signing officially. A second outlet picking up the story would help solidify it. Fee, contract length, and squad number all remain unknown — the full picture is still coming into focus.
Sources1 source
Flagside's editors read every piece we publish. We work from the football press, write our own copy rather than reprinting anyone's, and check each article for accuracy and sourcing. Every outlet that fed into this piece is named under Sources.
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