It is no secret that Celtic have had an underwhelming summer transfer window so far. Of course, we all knew bringing back Kieran Tierney was a major coup and he is already showing his quality. Benjamin Nygren looks to have been a smart addition as well, especially when you consider the fee it took to bring the Swedish international in. But other than that, the Hoops have made no other first-team-ready additions to their squad so far.
That is far from ideal. Additions are still needed in several positions all across the pitch, especially on the wings.
Jota is out injured and will remain out for the remainder of the year at the very least. On the other hand, Nicolas Kuhn left for Como last month and has yet to be replaced. Celtic need to bring in some wingers and as soon as possible.
One of the players they have been linked with for a while is Michel-Ange Balikwisha. And there is an update on the Belgian winger's situation and Celtic's pursuit of his signature.
£5m player wants to join Celtic and negotiations have taken place
As reported by Football Insider, Balikwisha is keen to join Celtic this summer. Pete O'Rourke said on the situation:
"The player himself is interested in the move away from Antwerp to Celtic.
“The opportunity to play Champions League football is very appealing to him in that respect, so there’s no doubt there’s a deal to be done.
“It came very close to happening last summer before that injury.
“There have been negotiations between the two clubs as there were last summer, so if they don’t land their other targets, Balikwisha could be an alternative."
The Belgian winger has made a good start to the season for Royal Antwerp. And that should only encourage Celtic to go out and make the move for him. It is believed that a transfer fee in the region of £5 million would be enough to get a deal done.
Balikwisha has started all three of Royal Antwerp's games so far this season. He scored in the most recent one against OH Leuven as they clinched their first win of the campaign.
The Hoops are believed to have been interested in signing him, going back to the previous summer window. But for one reason or another, a move has not materialised so far. One can only hope that that changes in the very near future. Celtic need some proper arrivals soon and Balikwisha could prove to be one of them.