With Carl Starfelt leaving in order to join Celta Vigo, Celtic needed to bring in a centre-back to replace him. And it looks like they set their eyes on another Swedish international in the form of Gustaf Lagerbielke. The 23-year-old defender currently plays Allsvenskan table toppers, IF Elsborg.
Rumours coming out of Sweden suggested that it was pretty much a done deal. A transfer fee had been agreed and Lagerbielke was set to travel to Glasgow to undergo his medical before being announced as a Celtic player.
And yet, there seems to be a potential twist in the tale. It certainly does not look like it is a ‘done deal’ already.
As reported by Boras Tidning, IF Elfsborg’s club manager Stefan Andreasson confirmed that there are ongoing negotiations for the defender with Celtic. Despite that, Lagerbielke is in the squad against Hammarby and intends to play from the start.
Possible twist in Lagerbielke to Celtic transfer
When a transfer is at the stage where a fee has been agreed and a player is due to travel for his medical, it is not often that they end up playing for their soon-to-be former team. There is always the risk of injuries when you get on the pitch, which could end up derailing the move.
Thus, it is certainly interesting that Lagerbielke has been included in the IF Elfsborg squad that will take on Hammarby this weekend. Let’s see how things play out from here.
Lagerbielke is a top talent and would be an excellent addition to this Celtic team. He is not the established centre-back that many fans would have been hoping for to replace 28-year-old Starfelt. But he certainly has a ton of potential.
To be fair, the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and many more were all signed in their early 20s. And they have gone on to do an excellent job.