Celtic defender’s move to Premier League club close

Celtic are still believed to be looking to bring in some more players to solidify the backline, but that doesn’t mean that all their current defenders will remain at the club beyond this summer.

In fact, one of the most highly-rated young defenders currently at the club could be on his way out of Parkhead in the form of Leo Hjelde.

Leeds United have been linked with the 17-year-old centre-back for a while now. And as reported by Fotball Norge (via Leeds Live), the club’s deal to sign Hjelde is imminent.

Hjelde’s current deal at Parkhead is believed to run till the summer of 2022 and he has been linked with a move away for quite some time. He is yet to make his competitive debut for Celtic with his future at the club being up in the air. He had a successful loan spell at Ross County last season though and now, it looks like a move to the Premier League might not be too far away in his future.

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Hjelde looks set for a Celtic exit with a move to Leeds United likely

There were certainly a lot of expectations that Hjelde would develop into a great defender at Celtic after his promising performances away on loan last season. But now, it does not look like that will be the case as he appears to be nearing a Parkhead exit.

On the other hand, it feels unlikely that Hjelde would play a prominent role for Leeds United in the near future even if the move was to take place this summer. Instead, a loan move might very possibly be in his future in order to play regular football somewhere and develop his game further.

Still just 17 years of age, Hjelde has all the time in the world on his hands to develop further and ultimately become a Premier League quality defender. Of course, he can spring a surprise and make an impact immediately after joining the club but that does feel very unlikely.