Emanuel Aiwu claims that Celtic were among a clutch of clubs who enquired over his services before he finalised a £3.5 million deal to join Serie A side Cremonese.
The Austrian defender completed a move to Italy after time at Rapid Wien - who the Hoops played in a pre-season friendly last month - and signed a four-year deal with the newly-promoted club. Aiwu was linked with a string of clubs across Europe but the Austrian U21s captain decided on Italy despite Celtic being one of those pondering whether or not to launch a bid for him.
There was also interest in Turkey and Russia for Aiwu to consider but the lure of a top five European league proved too good for him to turn down. He said: "There were enquiries from Mainz and Celtic and there was interest from clubs in Turkey and Russia, but Cremonese impressed me the most when we spoke.
