The Hoops were said to have had an offer thrown out for the forward during the summer transfer windowLouis Munteanu in action against Paksi FC

CFR Cluj owner Ioan Varga admits he still expects to lose star striker Louis Munteanu this season and has told Celtic just how much they’ll have to pay for their reported target.

Sources in Romania credited Brendan Rodgers’ side with an interest in the 23-year-old during the summer window and even went as far as to report that they saw a bid worth £6.9million turfed out by Cluj.

Munteanu – who banged in 25 goals last season – was also heavily linked with Valencia in La Liga and Rennes in Ligue 1.

And now Varga has revealed just how close the forward came to joining Ajax on deadline day and that he expects the Eredivisie giants to revisit the situation when the January transfer window opens up in just over three months time.

Speaking to GSP.ro, he said: “The truth about Louis Munteanu’s transfer is that we were one step away from selling him to Ajax on the last day of the transfer window.

“But we didn’t get the timing right, because we made the deal around 6pm and there were only a few hours left.

“Ajax and Valencia are, at the moment, the only clubs willing to pay under the conditions we are asking for, that is, 15-17 million euros plus percentages and bonuses, so that the transfer could go up to 20 million euros (£17.5million).

“It is a discussion that will be reactivated in the winter transfer window and we hope that then God will keep Louis healthy and help us in the championship.”

Cluj have been hit by a transfer ban over their financial irregularities but Varga is adamant they will be able to pay Fiorentina the full amount of cash that was agreed when they purchased Munteanu from the Serie A side at the start of last season.

He added: “Transfers are blocked, but it’s not a serious matter, in the sense that next week we agreed with Fiorentina to pay those 400,000 euros, which is the current due instalment.

Louis Munteanu of CFR Cluj(Image: Flaviu Buboi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“The Italians explained to me that they had to take these steps, not out of malice towards CFR or out of impatience, but because they also have to do their financial calculations internally.

“We are then going to pay another 1.6 million euros in future instalments.”

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