Celtic are closing in on a £3 million deal for Gustaf Lagerbielke and Elfsborg team-mate Johan Larsson will be ‘sad’ to see the Sweden international go.
Following Celtic’s 3-1 win at Aberdeen on Sunday – a result which maintained the champions’ 100 per cent record in the embryonic Scottish Premiership season – Brendan Rodgers admitted that a deal to bring in Carl Starfelt’s replacement was ‘very close’.
Starfelt joined La Liga outfit Celta Vigo last week. And fellow Swede Gustaf Lagerbielke appears to be Celtic’s number one target to take his place; Expressen reporting that a £3 million fee has now been agreed with Elfsborg.
“(A deal for a new defender is) very close,” Rodgers tells Sky Sports. “I think, in the next week, we’ll get that done.”
Elfsborg’s 1-0 Allsvenskan defeat away to Hammarby, then, feels more likely than not to be Lagerbielke’s final appearance for the Boras-based outfit.
He will be missed, too.
Celtic near Gustaf Lagerbielke deal
“(Lagerbielke) is a very good player,” Elfsborg veteran Johan Larsson says via Aftonbladet. “It’s fun for him but sad for us if he leaves now.
“It’s part of life in Elfsborg. If Gustaf leaves, he is well worth the opportunity. He is a future national team defender.
“It’s not something we can stand and cry about. When the big clubs come knocking on the door, it’s hard to say no for both player and club.”
Elfsborg’s sporting director, Stefan Andreasson, confirms that ‘negotiations’ with Celtic are now underway, having confirmed the Hoops’ ‘interest’ a few days earlier.
“We saw his game intelligence, how good he was in duels and that he was able to play line-breaking passes with both feet. You don’t see that ability in many players at that level,” Kalle Karlsson, who coached Lagerbielke at Vasteras FK, tells the Scottish Sun.
“He is strong, quick and very comfortable on the ball. His passing is excellent also. Gustaf was outstanding for us at Vasteras.
“He is down to earth, he is a leader. (He is) is likeable in the dressing room, and has a fantastic mentality,” Karlsson adds.
“It would be nice to see him at Celtic. I am a bit surprised at how quickly he has emerged as one of the best players in the Allsvenskan. It’s been a very fast rise, and now he is wanted by clubs like Celtic.”
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