Celtic must find a replacement for Carl Starfelt. It has become quite clear over the past week that the Swedish centre-back is on his way out of Parkhead. He has been a regular starter for the Hoops for the previous two seasons though and it does not feel like the club have anyone in their ranks already, who can immediately step in and take his place in the team.
Nothing official has been announced regarding Starfelt’s future. But Celta Vigo are believed to be the favourites to sign him this month.
On the other hand, Celtic have begun their search for a replacement as well. Recent rumours have linked them with IF Elfsborg’s Gustaf Lagerbielke. And now, it has been confirmed that there is substance to those links.
As reported by BBC, IF Elfsborg sporting director Stefan Andreasson told Fotbollskanalen about the matter:
"“We have had a dialogue in this case.“There is an interest, yes. But we are not in a negotiation.“Then the club must move from interest to acting powerfully, concretely. We are not there right now.”"
Club official confirms Celtic interest in £3 million player
Lagerbielke is 23 years of age and currently plays for IF Elfsborg in the Swedish top flight. The club are sitting at the top of the table right now and the centre-back has certainly played his part in that.
It is pretty clear that Lagerbielke has a lot of potential. And despite being just 23 years of age, he has already played for a number of teams as well.
He stands at around 6′ 3″ and it is pretty clear the type of defender Celtic are looking for in order to replace Starfelt at the back. There had already been rumours of them having placed a bid to sign Lagerbielke but it looks like they might be wide of the mark, even though the interest has been confirmed.
That being said, some fans might be a bit disappointed. Lagerbielke is a great prospect without a doubt but many were hoping for the club to bring in an established and experienced centre-back, who could walk straight into the starting XI.
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