Martin O’Neill has pushed back on the £9million fee regularly attached to Haissem Hassan while explaining why the winger is still finding his feet at Celtic.

The Egyptian arrived from Real Oviedo in August, but has yet to establish himself as a regular starter in O’Neill’s side.

Asked whether the reported price tag was contributing to that adjustment, the Celtic manager questioned the figure itself.

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“What is his price tag by the way?” O’Neill asked, as reported by The Scotsman.

When £9m was put to him, he replied: “I’m not sure that that was the case, in all honesty. No, nowhere near that.

“But no, he’s come to terms with it, his English is not great at the moment, and I think he’s just genuinely come to terms with Glasgow life and come to terms with the way that we see him in the side.”

Sky Sports reported when Hassan signed that Celtic had agreed an initial payment of around £6m, with a further £3m potentially due through add-ons. A significant portion of those bonuses was linked to qualification for this season’s Champions League league phase.

His comments challenge the way Hassan is being described as a £9m signing. They do not establish a different final cost or explain which payments may ultimately become due.

The more immediate issue is getting the best out of the player.

O’Neill’s explanation points to an adjustment that goes beyond football. Hassan is settling into a new city, working through a language barrier and learning what the manager wants from him in the team.

Supporters still want to see more, and understandably so. Whatever the precise fee, Celtic brought him in to improve their attacking options.

There have been glimpses of what he can offer. At Motherwell earlier this month, Hassan almost created another goal with sharp footwork and a ball across the box that Shumaira Mheuka narrowly failed to reach.

He also came on at half-time against Dundee United on Wednesday, alongside Jota, as O’Neill replaced Kasper Høgh and Callum Osmand with two natural wide players. He played well and has given the manager something to think about heading into Sunday.

That leaves the manager with a decision ahead of Falkirk. Hassan offers width on the right, but starting him there would require another change to an attack in which Camilo Durán has been operating from that side.

Giving Hassan a clearer run in his preferred position would at least offer a better opportunity to judge him. The fee will continue to attract attention, but Celtic need his contribution on the pitch to become the bigger talking point.