Report: Celtic could land South African starlet Rivaldo Coetzee for bargain fee

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With huge fees flying around this summer, Celtic’s possible deal to sign Ajax Cape Town defender Rivaldo Coetzee looks simply inspired.

His name may be Rivaldo but talented South African centre-back Coetzee is more renowned for his intelligent positioning than his penchant for stunning overhead kicks.

With 22 caps for his country at the age of just 20, Rivaldo Coetzee is one of the most talented young players in all of Africa and its little surprise that Scottish champions Celtic, who have taken to tapping into under-the-radar markets to unearth hidden gems, are tracking his progress.

The Scotsman reported on Friday that Celtic were plotting a move for Coetzee this summer with the 5ft 10ins stopper keen to test himself at a higher level after a series of excellent performances for Ajax Cape Town.

And the Daily Record report that Celtic could land the youngster for as little as £750,000 – a bargain in today’s madcap market.

Therefore, Coetzee is well within budget for last season’s treble winners, meaning it would be no surprise if he joined fellow newcomers Kundai Benyu, Jonny Hayes and Olivier Ntcham at Parkhead before the end of August.

With Dedryck Boyata and Erik Sviatchenko currently out injured, a new centre-half would be well received by Brendan Rodgers despite midfielder Nir Bitton slotting in impressively in the back four recently.

Renowned for his impressive distribution and technical ability, Coetzee could be right at home in Rodgers ‘build from the back’ system.