AMIDO Balde has advised Fraser Forster to resist any temptation of a move to Benfica and that the Celtic goalkeeper would be better off staying in Glasgow.
Celtic's recent recruit from Portugal revealed yesterday that Forster had asked him about Portuguese football after seeing newspaper reports that the Lisbon club want to buy the uncapped England squad member after he excelled against Benfica in last season's Champions League.
However, Balde believes that Celtic are a bigger club than Benfica and the £2m summer signing from Vitoria Guimaraes feels that Forster is happy at the Scottish champions, despite being overlooked by England manager Roy Hodgson for Wednesday's friendly against Scotland.
When asked if Celtic eclipsed Benfica, Balde replied: "Yes, surely. Celtic are one of the top clubs in Europe. I think Fraser is very happy here and likes it here; in my opinion, I would suggest that he stay here."
Balde's conversation with Forster on the issue had been recycled in the Portuguese media yesterday but the 22-year-old striker explained: "It was just banter between team-mates, asking what the Portuguese league is like and what happens there, but it was just chat."
Balde's impression of Celtic's status was heightened considerably by last Saturday's appearance in front of a 52,000 crowd in Dublin for a friendly with Liverpool. The Portuguese under-20 international scored the winner and hopes it will help to restore his own reputation after some negative reviews of his first outings.
"I want to help Celtic show that it was not a bad choice by the club to have chosen me," Balde said. "I'm very happy being at Celtic, particularly in feeling the warmth of the Celtic fans. The supporters have given me good vibrations."
Balde is not sure whether his Dublin goal will have any bearing on whether he plays against Aberdeen in the SPFL Premiership tomorrow, or in Tuesday's Champions League qualifying play-off with Shakhter Karagandy in Kazakhstan. "That wasjust one game, against Liverpool, and that is down to the manager.
"It has been a bit difficult settling. Just small things.
The language, the training regime, the new environment, the new colleagues, a different way of playing. Celtic are a bigger club, in European terms, and you feel that burden of having come to a bigger team where there is a bigger responsibility for me."
Meanwhile, Celtic have identified the Finnish striker, Teemu Pukki, as an option
if their bid to sign Alfred Finnbogason flounders.
The 23-year-old currently
plays for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, and is under contract for another year.
With Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as the No.1 striker, Pukki has struggled to hold down a regular place at Schalke since moving there for £1.2m from HJK Helsinki two years ago. The tall Pukki caught the attention of the German side when he scored a hat-trick against them in a Europa League tie. He can operate through the centre or coming in from the left, and would cost around £2m.
Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager, has already lost out in his pursuit of the Latvian, Artjoms Rudnevs, who did not want to move from Hamburg to play in the SPFL Premiership.
Icelander Finnbogason - who played for his country against the Faroe Islands last night but did not score - became the next target on the list of those identified to add firepower to the side which has lost its recent top scorer, Gary Hooper.
However, his club side, Heerenveen, are holding out for significantly more than what Celtic value the 24 year-old at.
This could open the way for Celtic to make an offer for Pukki, although there are other names on the list which Lennon has collated along with his chief scout, John Park.
The Parkhead club can still add one more signing to their squad for the Champions League play-off games against Shakhter Karagandy.
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