da dobrowin： An update has emerged on Celtic and their efforts to find a replacement for Carl Starfelt during the summer transfer window…
What's the latest Celtic transfer news?
da cassino： According to Swedish outlet Expressen, Northern Irish tactician Brendan Rodgers is chasing a deal to sign IF Elfsborg central defender Gustaf Lagerbielke before the deadline.
The report claims that the Hoops have offered the club SEK 40 million for the towering titan's signature, which equates to around £2.9m and would be a record fee for the Allsvenskan outfit.
It states that the two teams remain in talks and that Elfsborg are yet to make a definitive decision on whether or not they will accept the bid.
The outlet also reports that current Bhoys centre-back Starfelt is only 'details' away from completing an exit from Parkhead as he closes in on a transfer to LaLiga outfit Celta Vigo.
How good is Gustaf Lagerbielke?
Losing Starfelt would initially be a blow for Rodgers based on his form last season. However, the arrival of Lagerbielke could alleviate any concerns about his departure as the 23-year-old colossus has been imperious over the last 18 months for Elfsborg.
The 23-year-old enforcer could be the dream heir to his compatriot at Parkhead if he is able to translate his form in Sweden over to Scotland this term.
In 2023, the 6 foot 3 titan has averaged a superb Sofascore rating of 7.20 across 15 league appearances and helped his side to keep six clean sheets.
Meanwhile, Starfelt averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.21 across 28 Scottish Premiership outings throughout the 2022/23 campaign for Ange Postecoglou.
This made him the fifth-best performer within the squad and the second-highest-rated defender, as Josip Juranovic – who joined Union Berlin in January – received a score of 7.22.
These statistics suggest that the soon-to-be Celta Vigo battler was one of the club's outstanding players last term and that is why replacing him is vital for the Hoops.
Lagerbielke, whose passing was described as "impressive" by journalist Ryan McGinlay, also averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.20 over 20 league matches for Elfsborg in 2022 and this shows that the Sweden international has consistently delivered excellent displays over the last year and a half.
His average rating would have placed him within the top six performers and only marginally behind Starfelt for Celtic last season, which indicates that he has the potential to be an almost like-for-like replacement.
The Elfsborg star has won 62% of his individual duels and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions combined per match throughout 2023, whilst the current Bhoys enforcer won 67% of his battles and made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per clash.
This shows that both central defenders are dominant in their physical contests and do not allow opposition attackers to get the better of them too often. They are also able to win possession back for their team on a regular basis by reading the game to make vital defensive interventions.
Therefore, Rodgers could land the dream heir to Starfelt by signing Lagerbielke as his displays for Elfsborg suggest that he has the ability to replicate his compatriot's success in Scotland.