The Uruguayan has been touted with a potential move to Celtic Park alongside the Frenchman
Diego Rossi #10 of the Columbus Crew celebrates(Image: MLS via Getty Images)
Columbus Crew forward Diego Rossi was coy on his future when amid reported interest from Celtic. The prolific attacker could reunited with Wilfried Nancy as he closes in on the Parkhead hot seat.
The Frenchman is rapidly closing in on succeeding Brendan Rodgers in the Parkhead dugout and is in dire need of more options up front. Kelechi Iheanacho and Callum Osmand are on the sidelines with Johnny Kenny the only recognised forward available for the Scottish champion, with Daizen Maeda set to leave in January.
Nancy has already been linked with a raid for Palestinian forward Wessam Abou Ali and could also snap up 27-year-old Rossi from his soon-to-be former club. The club’s top scorer Rossi has already hinted he would like to return to Europe at the end of the current MLS campaign.
After a tough two-year spell at Fenerbahce, the attacker returned Stateside in 2023 – where he had success with LAFC – to join Columbus. His career has been revived by Nancy showing his best last season scoring 16 goals while chipping in with four assists before the Crew’s playoff exit.
And Rossi was giving little away about his own plans when asked about reuniting with the Columbus squad for pre-season, telling Inside The Crew: “It’s hard to think about now.
“The result is fresh (defeat to FC Cincinnati) and everyone is thinking about that. Everyone wants to go further in the playoff, but football is like this.
“In a few days you start thinking about next season. Having a team together and training together, you are always excited to build a team. It’s going to be a good thing for everyone to have a good team for next season.”
Columbus Crew GM Issa Tall stated last season that the club would not stand in a player’s way if they wished to leave in the midst of a saga involving star man Cucho Hernandez. The Colombian would eventually join Real Betis.
Tall said: “I’m going to speak highly about (Hernandez) today and for the years to come, but there’s no one that’s above the club.
“Meaning, we are not in a position whereby one player, if he’s gone, we’re like all of a sudden, ‘Oh, what happens to us now?’ I trust in the people here, the same way (I did in the past). … So, if Cucho were to leave, which I’m not saying this is the case, I’m confident in what we have here, to find somebody to now take over. If Cucho is here to stay, then great.”
So will it be the same for Rossi? Will he be considered too important to leave, or will the club stick to their ‘no player is bigger that the club’ rule? Incoming Celtic boss Nancy could test that policy in the winter window.