Celtic thrash out fee for Gustaf Lagerbielke as transfer timeline emerges for Swedish stopper
CELTIC are ready to sign Sweden defender Gustaf Lagerbielke for £3m.
The Hoops bosses reached an agreement with Elfsborg on the fee last night and the 23-year-old is expected to do the same travel in the coming days to Glasgow for a medical.
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Coach Brendan Rodgers switched to the Sweden international after Carl Starfelt moved to Celta Vigo.
Lagerbielke has been a standout player in the Allsvenskan for the past 18 months and has also been scouted by ajax.
But Celtic moved quickly after Starfelt’s departure and are about to land him.
Lagerbielke admitted this week that joining the Hoops would be a “dream” – and now he’s ready to make his wish come true.
Rodgers has already added £4million Polish centre-back Maik Nawrocki to his squad but would like more play in that area.
Former Legia Warsaw centre-back Nawrocki has impressed Cameron Carter-Vickers who believes he can quickly replace Starfelts Boots.
CCV partnered the German-born Nawrocki when he made his debut last weekend in a 4-2 draw win over Ross County as Starfelt prepared to join Vigo.
The 22-year-old Nawrocki had been signed before the Swede announced his wish leave.
Lagerbielke will see to that Competition for places but CCV is already a fan of what he’s seen from Under-21 international Nawrocki.
He said: “Defense partnerships take time.
“The more Carl and I played together, the better we got. I think that’s only natural.
“But you can see the qualities that Maik has every day in it.” Training. He’s a very good player and I’m looking forward to playing alongside him.
“Now it’s all about building connections and knowing what the other is going to do.”
CCV is only 25 years old but has developed into a real defender in his two years with the Celts.
With Starfelt gone, maybe he could be forgiven for feeling his duty to set an example is even greater, but he doesn’t see it that way.
He said: “I don’t really see it that way.
“For me, it’s just about doing my best and then helping other people around me.
“I think most of the players on the team are trying to do that anyway.
“We’re a group that sticks together and when we have information we can give each other to try and help the team and that’s what we’re doing.”
“Did I do that with Mike? Every player talks every day in training. It’s already started, but it takes time.
“Similar to a style change, it takes a while to make those connections instantly, but we’re definitely working on it.”
Meanwhile, high-profile midfielder Ben Summers, 19, has agreed a new deal until 2026 and a season-long loan move to Dunfermline.
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