CELTIC’S £7million misfits Albian Ajeti and Ismaila Soro have been dealt stebacks as they head for the Hoops exit.
The flop frontman, who cost £5million from West Ham in August 2020, and the midfielder, a £2million arrival from Israeli outfit Bnei Yehuda seven months earlier, have both returned to the champions after season-long loans.
Ajeti, who has scored a meagre nine goals for the Parkhead club, was at Sturm Graz while Soro spent the term at Portuguese top-flight team FC Arouca.
SITTING DOWN ON THE JOB…Albian Ajeti reflects on another missed opportunity.
Neither the forward, with just three strikes in 27 appearances for the Austrians, nor the anchorman did enough to warrant the clubs deciding to make the switches permanent.
Any remote chance 26-year-old Ajeti had of Sturm Graz changing their mind has just been blown with their signing of Polish striker Szymon Wlodarczyk, 20, in a £2million four-year deal from Gornik Zabrze, as reported in local media Kleine Zeitung.
Ironically, Soro’s hopes of a return to Portugal were scuppered when they snapped up another one-time expensive Hoops blunder Bhoy.
UNDER COVER…Ismaila Soro covers up after his January 2020 arrival.
Eboue Kouassi, who cost Brendan Rodgers £2.8milllion from Russian club Krasnodar in January 2017, has been brought in by FC Arouca after the 25-year-old Ivory Coast international’s release from Belgian outfit Genk.
A move to Panathanaikos was mooted for 25-year-old Soro last month before snags stalled the proposed shift.
Ajeti and Soro both have 12 months to run on their current Celtic deals, but it is clear they have no future in Rodgers’ plans for the club.