Reports suggest Celtic have already made their move for firing striker Ibrahim Diabate
09:54, 26 Dec 2025Updated 09:55, 26 Dec 2025
Ibrahim Diabate celebrates scoring for GAIS(Image: Ibrahim Diabate / Instagram)
Swedish football’s top scorer could be on his way to Celtic with reports suggesting they’ve made their move for 20-goal striker Ibrahim Diabate – who recently knocked back a move to Egypt.
The Hoops are desperate for attacking reinforcements after being left light up front following injuries to Kelechi Iheanacho and youngster Callum Osmand as well as the sale of Adam Idah to Swansea City at the end of the transfer window.
Ivory Coast striker Diabate, rated at around £3m in Sweden, has been in astonishing form for Gothenburg side GAIS as he helped them to a third-placed finish and shared the top scorer award in the Allsvenskan with Djurgardens’ August Priske.
The 26-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to Egyptian giants Al-Ahly, ironically as a replacement for another striker Celtic were linked with – Wessam Abou Ali. But reports in Egypt have suggested the Cairo club are about to see their main target snatched away by Celtic, who have made an approach to GAIS.
Diabate appeared to be less than keen himself with a move to Africa when he was asked directly about the link with Al-Ahly last week. He said: “These are just rumours. Nothing is clear about any transfer and there have been no discussions.
“Very little of what has been said about me signing for Al-Ahly is true.”
Diabate is under contract with GAIS for another two years and moved there from another Swedish club, Vasteras, last year.
He went through a remarkable goalscoring transformation this season after having previously only managed one goal for Vasteras last term.
The 26-year-old previously played in Spain for the B teams of both Mallorca and Atletico Madrid, but failed to make an appearance in La Liga before moving to Sweden.
He’s represented Ivory Coast Under 21s, but has not been capped at full international level yet.
Elsewhere there’s been a lot of talk about a potential return to Celtic for Kyogo – but could another former Hoops striker be a potential target this month?
According to Mexican journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Cruz Azul are open to selling Giorgos Giakoumakis amid his impressive form on loan in Greece.
It’s claimed Spanish side Real Oviedo have made an offer and his parent club are willing to talk ‘if the proposal is good.’
Giakoumakis is currently on loan at PAOK and has hit a not-to-be-sniffed-at tally of nine goals in 20 appearances.
Speaking to Record Sport back in May, the 31-year-old said he’d love to return to the club where he previously scored 26 goals in 57 appearances.
He said: “You want to set the fire? I would love to play for Celtic again. I don’t know if that’s a utopia or if it could happen again – but who wouldn’t?
“Even if you don’t know what it feels like to be there, when you’ve already been there, you know exactly what it means.
“So if someone played for Celtic and he was successful and you ask him a couple of years after, ‘Would you play again for Celtic?’ and he tells you no, he’s a stupid guy. He’s so dumb.
“So, yeah, I would love, love, love to wear this jersey again. I don’t know if this circle is done for me, but, yeah, that’s my truth.”