Rubin Kazan have not registered Carl Starfelt in their squad for the new season as the Sweden international centre-back closes in on a £4 million move to Scottish giants Celtic, as reported by TN.
If you are a neutral with no skin in the game, Celtic vs Midtjylland in the Champions League qualifiers is not exactly the sort of fixture that would makes your hair stand on end.
So when Starfelt published a photo on Instagram, showing the highly-rated defender tuning in to watch the first game of the Ange Postecoglou era, it felt like the clearest sign yet that he would be a Celtic player come September.
It is no secret that the Glasgow giants are keen on the 26-year-old stopper – Rubin’s sporting director has already confirmed that talks are underway – and Starfelt’s social media activity certainly seems to suggest that he is preparing for life at Parkhead.
Is Carl Starfelt set to join Celtic from Rubin Kazan?
On Wednesday, Rubin Kazan announced their 26-man squad ahead of the new Russian Premier League season.
And Starfelt was conspicuous by his absence; TN reporting that the former IFK Goteborg defender was missing due to the assumption that he will be a Celtic player before the new campaign gets underway.
The Daily Record reported earlier this week that Starfelt, who is expected to replace the Brentford-bound Kristoffer Ajer at Glasgow, has already undergone medical tests at Celtic.
He is now awaiting the completion of his paperwork as he prepares to follow in the footsteps of Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi.
“The loss of Starfelt? This is the reality of football,” Rubin coach Leonid Slutsky said recently.
“If we receive an interesting offer that is beneficial to everyone, we are forced to accept it. This confuses my plans a little, but such a situation can always arise.
“It is possible that someone will leave us this summer. This is normal.”
Rubin did, however, name Leeds United target Kvicha Kvaratskhelia in their squad as talks regarding a potential move to Elland Road go cold.
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