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Elyounoussi: Celtic move was worth the wait
HAD Mohamed Elyounoussi been granted his wish, he would have been a Celtic player three years ago. Coveted by Ronny Deila after goals in two separate matches for Molde helped knock Celtic out of the Europa League, Elyounoussi was the subject of a firm enquiry from the Scottish champions in the January window of 2016.
In what has become a familiar scenario for a succession of Celtic managers, the £3million price tag proved too rich for chief executive Peter Lawwell — and the Norwegian internationalist was instead transferred to FC Basle, whose speculation was rewarded with a profit of more than 500 per cent when he moved on to Southampton two years later.
‘I knew about Celtic’s interest back then,’ mused Elyounoussi, who has joined the Scottish champions on loan until the end of the season. ‘From what I’ve heard, I was a bit too expensive.
‘I remember at that time I really wanted to come to Celtic, especially after playing at the stadium. The atmosphere was amazing that night — at least until we scored! I would have signed if I could. It’s better late than never.’
Elyounoussi struggled to live up to his £16m price tag on England’s south coast but is confident of rekindling his career in Glasgow.
A team-mate of both Stuart Armstrong and Fraser Forster at St Mary’s, the Moroccan-born attacker was able to glean plenty of intelligence about the Scottish football environment after becoming aware of Celtic’s interest a fortnight ago.
Within that timeframe, Forster, too, has made a temporary switch to Parkhead and is likely to keep goal for Neil Lennon’s side against Rangers today, while marshalling the midfield for the Ibrox side will be another former colleague in the shape of Steven Davis.
‘I first heard about the interest a couple of weeks ago,’ said Elyounoussi. ‘I got the green light a couple of days ago. On Friday, I went to London and had the medical.
‘There were other clubs interested but it felt like Celtic was the right choice for me, the size of club and the way they play football, too.
‘They play attacking, aggressive football. I just liked it instantly and wanted to be a part of it.’
Elyounoussi trained with his new team-mates for the first time yesterday and goes straight into the squad for today’s derby.
Having featured only once for Southampton since February, he may be short of match sharpness
but believes he will be a good fit for the high-tempo football favoured by Lennon. And having observed his new team-mates up close, he believes the side is much better than the one he faced four seasons ago.
‘We had a huge respect for Celtic at the time but I had a really good experience, with a goal and an assist in both games,’ he recalls. ‘I remember I had a lot of time on the ball in those games but now the team looks more aggressive and plays with more intensity.
‘I don’t think I will struggle to get to that level of intensity. I need a little bit of time to get to know the players and for them to know me.
‘That would be the only thing. I feel fit enough to play but it’s the gaffer’s decision.’
Elyounoussi believes he could slip into any of the three slots behind striker Odsonne Edouard but with James Forrest and Ryan Christie looking nailed on as starters, he is most likely to play off the left, where youngster Mikey Johnston has started the season impressively.
Capped 24 times for his country, Elyounoussi was a star at Basle, scoring 23 goals in two seasons.
Linked with Arsenal and Leicester among others, it was Southampton who chose to pay the big fee but his position was compromised through an ill-timed injury and the departure of manager Mark Hughes.
‘It was all small details,’ he says of his first year in England. ‘It didn’t start great because in my first game I got injured when I’d never had an injury in my career. I got back, then the manager got sacked and a new manager came in. It was hard to get momentum.
‘I try to learn from it, rather than regret what has happened so far.’
With Celtic pursuing a recordequalling ninth title in a row, tensions and drama are sure to be heightened this term.
Handily, Elyounoussi has some insight into the challenge ahead.
‘I like the pressure of history and going for the title,’ he says. ‘I can compare it to my time at Basle where the team won the league eight times in a row.
‘The pressure was huge from the fans every year, to win the league and do well in Europe. I liked that pressure. That’s why I am at Celtic.’