Celtic are keen to re-sign Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi in the summer transfer window, with the Saints preparing to lower their valuation in order to recoup some of the money spent on the 26-year-old.
The Norwegian arrived at St Mary’s from Basel for around £16m back in the summer of 2018, but he has failed to live up to expectations at Southampton, managing just 16 goalless Premier League appearances in the 2018/19 campaign (Sofascore). He has subsequently been deemed surplus to requirements and has spent the last two seasons on loan at Celtic, last featuring for his parent club in April 2019.
The winger was valued at around £8m to £10m by the Saints last summer, but that price put off potential suitors from making a move to sign him. As a result, the decision was made for him to re-join Celtic, who he helped to win the Scottish Premiership for the ninth successive year. He has registered seven goals and two assists so far this term in the league (Sofascore).
Celtic are reportedly interested in making his move permanent in the summer; and with the winger now entering the final two years of his £60,000-a-week deal, the Saints are now preparing to lower their valuation of him to around £5m. However, the Glasgow club fear that the valuation could rise again depending on how well he ends the season, according to Football Insider.
Read Southampton verdict
It seems like the right time for Southampton to cash in on Elyounoussi, with the winger clearly not in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s plans. The club’s finances have been an area of recent concern, so having a player on £60,000-a-week who is not in the first team plans seems an unnecessary expense.
Lowering his valuation to £5m shows how much his stock has fallen since his big-money arrival in 2018, but it is a loss worth taking at this stage for the Saints. Celtic has proved to be a decent move for him and he has managed to regain some form for them, which has perhaps enabled his valuation to remain somewhat decent.
A permanent move to the Scottish giants looks to be the best option for him at the moment, but there is always a chance that he could attract other potential suitors if he performs well for the rest of the season. That, in turn, could help to drive up his valuation for Southampton.
