STEAUA BUCHAREST midfielder Ovidiu Popescu has no outstanding qualities and claims the Celtic target is worth £8 million are 'totally unrealistic’, according to a Romanian talentspotter.

Outspoken Steaua owner George Becali revealed earlier this week that the Hoops had sent a scout to watch the 23-year-old in action during last weekend’s derby against Dinamo Bucharest, going on to claim that the midfielder could fetch as much as £25 million in the future.

But Radu Baicu, a football scout who has monitored the Romanian market for the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Hannover 96, believes Popescu is nothing more than a decent player and does not think the Scottish champions are likely to break the bank to bring in the midfielder.

Read more: Celtic consider swoop for Steaua Bucharest's £8 million-rated midfielder Ovidiu Popescu

“In my opinion he’s a decent player, he’s a tidy midfielder,” Baicu told Sport Times.

“By our quite low standards he has a good engine, he can play a bit of football, but in my opinion he’s just starting to add a bit to his game.

“Initially he was quite focused on his defensive tasks, doing his job in front of the defence as a number 6. Now he’s playing more as a number 8 and in my opinion he doesn’t have outstanding qualities.

“I’m quite intrigued about this whole story with Celtic because I’d be very interested to see him in the Scottish league, where being a good runner and getting tackling in is something that is not so uncommon.

“So I wonder what Celtic are seeing in him, if the story is true, because I don’t know what kind of profile they are searching for. But in my opinion, Popescu is a decent player but nothing spectacular.”

It has been widely reported that Steaua have inserted an £8 million release clause into Popescu’s contract, but when asked if that fee exceeded the player’s true value, Baicu did not hesitate with his answer.

“Yes, definitely,” he replied.

“For me, to ask £8 million for Popescu is bold. But there is a saying that we have in Romania – ‘stupid isn’t the one who is asking, stupid is the one who is paying’.”

That isn’t to say that a move to Glasgow is out of the question.

But Baicu warned the Bhoys not to buy into the discourse of Becali if they further their interest, as the 58-year-old politician is not adverse to playing mind games through the media.

Read more: Celtic consider swoop for Steaua Bucharest's £8 million-rated midfielder Ovidiu Popescu

“There is a big chance (of a move to Celtic) if any bid is tabled,” he said.

“I think Celtic is realistic, I actually know a scout from Celtic who closely watches the Romanian market and he is very much aware of the players with potential and about their value and price.

“But for me Becali is playing his cards now because he recently sold Nicolae Stanciu to Anderlecht for almost €10 million (£8.6 million). But then you are talking about a number 10, a player who is in the first national team of Romania, who has bigger potential to at least live up to this transfer fee in Belgium.

“Now, if Celtic or any other club is willing to pay around €10 million for a 23-year-old who has played 60 games in the Romanian first division…for me, there’s a big question mark around his transfer fee, it’s not realistic.

“He’s not a goalscorer, he’s not an assist man. What’s his scoring record in Romania, he’s scored this season what, one goal?

“He’s a box to box, tidy midfielder who sticks to his tasks and everything, but tell me where the value of £8 million is lying behind these characteristics.

“I think Becali is just playing with a big sum. The higher he starts the negotiations, the better it will be for him in the end. I don’t think Celtic is ready to pay such an amount.

“He is an expert in playing games in the Romanian media. And the British media likes to buy into his big statements.

“He has financial security within the club to play these games, it’s up to the clubs interested in buying from him to figure out a way past his mind games.”

Follow Radu Baicu on Twitter @rbaicu