Rubin Kazan’s sporting director Oleg Yarovinsky has confirmed that talks are underway to sell Carl Starfelt to Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, while speaking to SportBox.
That is the sound of the floodgates swinging open.
As Celtic finally secured the signature of a player capable of slotting straight into Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI this week – a £3.5 million deal for Liel Abada the club’s maiden first-team arrival of a frustrating window – it seems that summer signing number two will be on his way to Glasgow soon enough.
Transfer market don Fabrizio Romano insisted on Wednesday that a £4.2 million swoop for Sweden international centre-back Carl Starfelt was ‘done’.
While it seems that Romano might have jumped the gun ever so slightly, Yarovinsky’s comments do suggest that Starfelt will probably be a Celtic player by the end of August.
Will Carl Starfelt now join Liel Abada at Celtic?
“Starfelt has not yet moved to Celtic, but we are negotiating with them,” said a man who has also spoken publically about the potential departure of Georgian winger Kvicha Kvaratskhelia to Leeds United.
“Until the documents are signed (for Starfelt), the transfer does not take place.”
It did not go unnoticed that Starfelt was nowhere to be seen as Rubin Kazan faced off against Spartak Moscow in a pre-season game last night either.
According to Gazeta, the 26-year-old’s absence was the result of the uncertainty surrounding his future. And if that 4-0 thrashing at Spartak’s hands is anything to go by, it could be a long old season for Rubin without arguably their finest centre-back.
Starfelt’s arrival should now pave the way for fellow Scandinavian Kristoffer Ajer to leave Parkhead, although a £20 million price-tag appears to have Norwich City and Newcastle United running for the hills.
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