Celtic Push to Sign “Creative” £5m Star Who Could Be Even Better Than Nygren

Celtic Push to Sign “Creative” £5m Star Who Could Be Even Better Than Nygre

Celtic fans have a lot to look forward to this summer and the signings are just getting started.

The club recently announced the signing of Swedish winger Benjamin Nygren from Danish side FC Nordsjælland. The deal is said to be worth around £1.3 million, making him the third new arrival at Parkhead this summer after Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan.

But manager Brendan Rodgers isn’t done yet. In fact, Celtic are now working on bringing in another winger and some believe this next player could actually turn out to be a bigger talent than Nygren.

Big Changes Coming to Celtic’s Wingers
There could be a major shake-up in Celtic’s wide attacking positions this season.

First, star winger Jota is going to be out injured until at least Christmas after damaging his knee in a match back in April. That’s already a big gap in the squad.

Then there’s Nicolas Kühn, another winger who might be leaving soon. Reports say German side RB Leipzig and Italian club Como both want to sign him, and Celtic are willing to let him go for the right offer possibly around £15 million.

So, even though Nygren has come in, it’s clear Celtic need more firepower on the wings. And that’s where Michel-Ange Balikwisha comes in.

Celtic Want Balikwisha And He’s Now More Affordable
According to reports from Belgium (via the Daily Record), Celtic’s main target now is Michel-Ange Balikwisha, a 24-year-old winger from Royal Antwerp.

Antwerp originally wanted £5 million for him, but they’ve now dropped their price to around £4.5 million because they need cash and won’t be playing in Europe next season. They also lost out in the Belgian league play-offs and Balikwisha only has one year left on his contract, so they don’t want to lose him for free next summer.

If he signs, Balikwisha would be the eighth Belgian to play for Celtic following players like Dedryck Boyata, Jason Denayer, and Joos Valgaeren.

What Kind of Player is Balikwisha?
Balikwisha hasn’t had the best year recently. He had knee surgery in January, which stopped him from joining Celtic back then, and he also struggled with a thigh injury, which kept him out for most of the season. Before March, he had only played 149 minutes.

But the good news is that he came back strong. He played the final 10 games of the season for Antwerp and scored four goals. That shows he’s getting back to his best.

And his 2022/23 season proves what he’s really capable of. At just 21 years old, he helped Antwerp win the Belgian league for the first time since 1957. He also scored in the Belgian Cup final and the Super Cup, then helped the team reach the Champions League group stage even scoring in key matches against AEK Athens and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Why Celtic Want Him
Balikwisha is quick, clever with the ball, and knows how to score goals. He’s the kind of creative player who can make a real difference in tight games. Even though he’s had some injury problems, he’s still young and has already proven himself in big matches.

Celtic see him as a smart signing especially now that he’s more affordable and ready for a fresh start.

If everything goes well and the deal is done soon, fans can expect another exciting player at Celtic Park as the club gets ready for a busy season ahead.