Former Spartak Moscow president Andrey Chervichenko has his doubts about reports suggesting Celtic defender Carl Starfelt could be returning to Russia for a fee of £14 million.
Less than 24 hours after the Scottish Sun indicated that the Sweden international was facing an uncertain future at Parkhead – Celtic ‘braced’ for offers with just one month of the summer window remaining – speculation suggesting that Carl Starfelt could be set for a route back to Russia went into overdrive.
Spartak Moscow need a centre-half after a deal for Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez collapsed.
But a potential move for Starfelt is news to Chervichenko; the former Spartak chief casting doubt on the legitimacy of those reports.
Carl Starfelt faces uncertain Celtic future
“In Britain, they write that the former defender of Rubin Starfelt is moving to Spartak?,” Chervichenko says of 28-year-old Starfelt, who joined Celtic back in 2021.
“I don’t have a clue what that is about. Apparently, if I don’t even know who I’m talking about, then there’s nothing extraordinary about him.
“The amount of 16 million euros? I think it’s all agent games.”
Clearly, Starfelt did not make much of an impression on Chervichenko during his time at the heart of Rubin Kazan’s backline. The same cannot be said of those who have watched Starfelt blossom from ‘bombscare’ to brilliant during two topsy-turvy seasons at Celtic, the defender growing in stature and celebrating successive Scottish Premiership titles alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.
The good news for Celtic is that, even if Starfelt does go, Brendan Rodgers may already have a replacement; Maik Nawrocki arriving from Legia Warsaw for around £4.3 million in July.
The Hoops could yet step up their interest in FC Volendam’s Xavier Mbuyamba too. A long-time Celtic target, the one-time Barcelona and Chelsea youngster is making no secret of his desire for a fresh start after helping Volendam avoid relegation from the Eredivisie in 2022/23.
“If the right club comes, I want to leave,” Mbuyamba admits. “Volendam want to keep me, but I don’t think they will keep me at any cost.”
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