'We will definitely sign': Manager opens door for £3m ace to join his club from Celtic

As Brendan Rodgers rather aptly put it in his Friday press conference, if every player that was tipped to leave Celtic did actually go, he’d be left dealing with a five-a-side team for the rest of the campaign.

No discussion of Celtic’s transfer situation is complete without a mention of Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi.

Both The Hoops’ Player of the Year and their most reliable goalscorer have admirers in the Premier League. Brighton and Hove Albion want O’Riley, while none other than Manchester City have turned to Kyogo after selling Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.

And then there is also the uncertainty surrounding fringe players Mikey Johnstone and Gustaf Lagerbielke.

Celtic could send Gustaf Lagerbielke to Derby County

Johnstone, after a stellar loan spell with West Brom, could return to the English Championship at Sheffield United.

Lagerbielke, meanwhile, was confirmed as a target for Eredivisie outfit Heerenveen this week.

Ferry de Haan, Heerenveen’s chief executive, tells Leeuwarder Courant that he is hopeful a deal can be agreed for a man who’s only real memorable moment as a Celtic player came when scoring a late winner against Feyenoord in the Champions League last season.

De Haan is keen to point out, however, that no agreement has been reached just yet. Not with Lecce still in the mix – Lagerbielke has admitted his desire to play in Italy already – and Derby County entering talks over a loan deal, per the Daily Record.

Rams boss Paul Warne did not mention Lagerbielke by name ahead of Saturday’s trip to Watford. But he does confirm that Derby are in the market for a centre-half.

“We’re doing everything we can,” Warne tells the Derby Telegraph. “We still need to get another defender in.

“I know we will definitely sign players before the window shuts. It is muddy water out there at the moment, but we’re doing our best to navigate through it.”

Brendan Rodgers admits £3m man can leave Parkhead

Celtic paid £3 million to sign Lagerbielke from Swedish outfit Elfsborg during the summer of 2023.

The 24-year-old has only made seven Premiership appearances, however, starting just three. Lagerbielke has also not featured at all so far this term with Liam Scales, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Stephen Welsh all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Rodgers also said, during his own press conference, that Lagerbielke has been nothing but professional despite his lack of opportunities. The Scottish champions will not stand in his way, however, if they receive an offer they deem acceptable.

“I think to be fair to Gustaf, to go and play would be important for him,” Rodgers says, via Celtic’s official YouTube channel. “I have to say he’s been absolutely brilliant every day in training.

“I recognise how difficult it has been for him for at times not to be on the bench and to be training here as a small group on a Saturday morning or Sunday morning.

“He’s never once wavered from being the ultimate professional. For me, he deserves the chance to go and play.

“He’s not been in my plan to play but he’s been a great teammate and a real privilege to coach. He deserves an opportunity to go and play and we’ll see what that looks like.”

The post 'We will definitely sign': Manager opens door for £3m ace to join his club from Celtic appeared first on HITC.

from HITC https://ift.tt/vXOx8nh