Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko has revealed that Turkish giants Besiktas wanted to sign him during the summer transfer window after having admitted that he “wasn’t completely satisfied” at the club.
The 25-year-old has been unable to feature for the Hoops so far in the SPL after suffering a knee injury in the Champions League qualifying match against Rosenborg in August.
The Dane was reportedly linked with a move away from the Scottish champions this summer and he states that he was very close to leaving the club this summer on a loan deal.
“I spoke to Celtic about my future, but there are three parties that had to agree – me, Celtic and FC Copenhagen,” he said to the Scottish Sun.
“I told the club I wasn’t completely satisfied at being third choice.
“Besiktas were also really interested in me as a loan signing.
“That could have been exciting.”
Although he made a total of 43 appearances for the first-team last season, Sviatchenko has found himself behind fellow teammates Jozo Simunovic and Dedryck Boyota in the pecking order for the central defender position.
Celtic will be hopeful that the Denmark international can make a speedy recover as they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four matches in all competitions.
OPINION
It is very interesting to hear a player openly discuss what transpired during the summer transfer window. It appears that the central defender had his heart set on a move away from Scotland but the deal failed to materialise. It wouldn’t be a surprise should the Turkish club attempt to land him when the transfer window reopens in January especially if Sviatchenko is still not featuring for Celtic on a regular basis. With the amount of injuries they have suffered at the start of the campaign, manager Brendan Rodgers cannot afford to lose any more defensive options so Besiktas will need to return with an offer to sign Sviatchenko on a permanent deal rather than a loan. The player himself is clearly unsure about his future and having decided to go public with his thoughts, it will be fascinating to see how Celtic react when he returns to full fitness.