Celtic and Royal Antwerp are reported to be deep in talks over the transfer of Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
The 24-year-old left winger is in the final year of his contract, another deal with Antwerp doesn’t seem to be on the agenda with Celtic’s transfer fee required for a minor rebuild at the Belgian side this summer.
The near certainty of Nicolas Kuhn being sold to Como seems to have given Celtic the confidence to push ahead with a deal with with the need for wingers becoming very pressing.
With Jota out injured until the latter part of the year the sale of Kuhn might be wonderful for Balance Sheet fanatics but six weeks before a Champions League Play Off Brendan Rodgers’ squad is badly short of options in the wide positions.
The pressure to make a profit on transfer business is overwhelming at Celtic, with Kuhn bound for Como in a €19m deal, around a quarter of that fee is being discussed for Balikwisha.
Celtic were first linked with Balikwisha a year ago by the reliable Stephen McGowan but a torn thigh muscle killed off any chance of a deal being struck last August.
The winger suffered three injuries last season lasting 127, 57 and 21 days but finished the season strongly by appearing in 10 league matches between March 9 and May 11. Details from Transfermarkt Injury profile
Belgian website Voetbal Krant reports:
Sporting director Marc Overmars wants – or must – sell first before he can really start working on incoming reinforcements. That first major sale now seems to be coming.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha is close to a transfer to Celtic. The Scottish top club has been in talks for some time and is now pushing through. Antwerp would like to conclude quickly, also because Balikwisha has entered his last year of contract. He is not extending, so this is the moment to collect a hefty sum.
The winger recovered at the end of last season with goals and assists and did not go unnoticed at European level. His profile – fast, technical, and deployable on both flanks – makes him an interesting reinforcement for Brendan Rodgers and co. Moreover, his departure leaves room in Antwerp’s wage budget.
With the income from Balikwisha, Overmars finally has room to switch. Antwerp is hungry for fresh blood, especially in defense and attack. At the back, there is a lack of sufficient depth and experience, while an extra striker is urgently needed up front to increase the competition with Janssen – if he stays.
The preparation is now in full swing, but it is clear that coach Stef Wils hopes for reinforcements before the start of the competition. In Austria he is currently working with a mix of young talents and familiar names, although the core is far from balanced.
If the deal with Celtic is finalized this week, Antwerp’s mercato will finally get moving. Overmars can then do his homework and finally get to work on the much-needed renewal. The fans are already waiting impatiently for the first big incoming name.
Celtic’s interest in Rapid Vienna winger Isak Jansson seems genuine but there will be a number of hurdles to be completed before a transfer is completed.
Clubs across Europe are now back in training, playing matches and getting underway with transfer business.
In the last week Celtic have lost Greg Taylor and Maik Nawrocki with deals on Kuhn and Gus Lagerbielke at the formality stage.
After Tuesday’s friendly against Cork City Celtic fly out to Portugal to step up their pre-season training coupled with a Closed Doors match on Saturday against Estrela Da Amadora followed by a friendly against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday July 16.
By that stage Rodgers will be looking to be close to the three additions to last season’s squad allowing him to put the finishing touches to preparations when he takes Celtic to the Como Cup with two matches between July 24 and 27.
The first competitive match of the season is on August 3 against St Mirren in the SPFL Premiership opener, the following day the draw is made for the Champions League Play Off with Celtic seeded for the matches on August 19/20 and 26/27.
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