A big update has emerged on Celtic and their attempts to secure a replacement for Carl Starfelt during the summer transfer window…
What's the latest Celtic transfer news?
According to Football Scotland, the Hoops are closing in on the signing of Elfsborg central defender Gustaf Lagerbielke to bolster their options at the back.
The report claims that his medical is expected to be completed at the start of this week and that tallies with Brendan Rodgers' admission after the 3-1 win over Aberdeen on Sunday that he believes a centre-back will be in the building before the club's next match – against Kilmarnock next weekend.
This comes after Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph claimed that the Scottish giants are poised to pay a fee of £3m to sign the Swedish enforcer, who is set to put pen to paper on a long-term deal at Paradise.
How good is Gustaf Lagerbielke?
The 23-year-old titan could be an outstanding figure at the back alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers – if he is able to translate his Allsvenskan form over to Scotland in the months to come.
In 2023, the potential Hoops signing has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.20 across 15 league appearances for Elfsborg and won 62% of his individual duels to showcase his physicality.
No current Celtic defender averaged a higher rating throughout the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership campaign, which illustrates just how impressive Lagerbielke's performances have been for his current club.
His superb displays at the heart of the defence have not been a flash in the pan, either, as he also averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.20 over 20 outings and came out on top in 64% of his battles during the 2022 season.
Carter-Vickers, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.14 across 29 Premiership matches – the highest of any current Hoops defender – and consistently dominated opposition attackers with an exceptional duel success rate of 69%.
That came after the USA international enjoyed a phenomenal debut year in Scotland during the 2021/22 campaign, in which he averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.33 over 33 league clashes for Celtic – the second-best score any defender managed that season.
These statistics show that the former Tottenham Hotspur prospect has been an outstanding warrior at the back for the Scottish giants since his move to the club in 2021.
Now, imagine how good he could be alongside a centre-back who outperformed him, albeit in a different league, throughout the 2022/23 season.
Lagerbielke, whose passing was hailed as "impressive" by journalist Ryan McGinlay, could compete with Maik Nawrocki for a spot alongside Carter-Vickers in the defence on the left side.
The Polish defender has started the opening two matches of the league campaign and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05, whilst he has also won an eye-catching 80% of his ground duels.
Having three excellent central defensive options to pick from would be a nice problem for Rodgers to have and it will be interesting to see how it plays out this season if Lagerbielke's move does go through, given that him and Carter-Vickers appear to be the best pairing on paper.