Atlanta United CEO Garth Lagerwey has taken a thinly-veiled swipe at Celtic after the delay in getting a deal for Giorgos Giakoumakis over the line.
The 28-year-old swapped the Scottish Premiership for Major League Soccer in a £4million transfer Stateside after a successful 18 month spell at Celtic Park where he scored 26 goals and was a key component to the side that won the title in Ange Postecoglou’s first season. However, the American side were initially keen to land the Greece international on a loan deal with bonuses triggering a permanent transfer to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
But Celtic would hold firm in the talks until the Eastern Conference side met their valuation of the towering frontman, which led to the transfer rumbling on well beyond the end of the transfer window in Scotland. The delay in the deal has held up Giakoumakis from making his first-team debut and being able to train with his new teammates as he awaits a work visa.
