CELTIC new Bhoy Sead Haksabanovic is at the centre of transfer controversy between his former clubs Rubin Kazan and IFK Norrkoping.
The 23-year-old Montenegro international winger has already made two substitute appearances for the Hoops following his £1.7million arrival from the Russian club last month, as CQN reported.
Rubin paid £5.2million to the Swedish club for Haksabanovic in July last year, but were forced to sell their hottest property after relegation from the top flight last season.
HOOP HOOP HOORAY…Sead Haksabanovic congratulates James Forrest on scoring the final goal in Celtic’s 4-1 Premier Sports League Cup triumph over Ross County in Dingwall.
The attacker, who has looked bright and enterprising in his two outings against Ross County and Real Madrid, spent the second half of the campaign at Djursgardens following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As Haksabanovic kicks of his five-year contract at the champions, he has left behind him a cash wrangle between his two ex-teams.
Norrkoping chairman Sakarias Mardh has claimed Rubin have yet to pay £3.2million of the transfer fee for their former player and he insisted his club are set to pursue legal action to recoup the money.
Mardh, speaking to Swedish media outlet NT Sport, said: “We are working on it with our lawyers. It is generally difficult with business contacts with Russia right now.
“Everything takes a long time. This is something completely new. It is nothing that anyone has experienced before, everything is untested.
“We have our lawyer with us in this and he is one of the best transfer lawyers in the country. It is FIFA we are in contact with. Should it become relevant to impose a transfer ban on them (Rubin Kazan) then that is FIFA’s question. We are not alone in being in a situation like this.”
REAL DEAL…Sead Haksabanovic fires in a left-foot effort at the Madrid goal.
Asked how the Russians had been allowed to sell Haksabanovic to the champions, the club supremo answered: “That is what we are trying to figure out a little.
“We will contact them, but he is still their player.”
There is no suggestion the transfer to Celtic is illegal and the player is a registered player at the Parkhead club.
The matter is solely a problem between Robin and Norrkoping and it is for those clubs to settle their differences.
In the meantime, Sweden-born Haksabanovic can get on with concentrating on his new career at the Scottish champions.
