Celtics push for signing ‘creative’ £5million star

This is just the beginning of the influx of Celtic signings this summer.

Benjamin Nygren was unveiled as a Celtic player on Friday, arriving from Nordsjælland, reportedly at £1.3 million.

He is the third recruit of the summer so far, behind only Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan, but there are more people, and Brendan Rodgers is actually pushing another winger to sign another one, who may actually be bigger than Nygren.

Celtics look for new front

That may all change as far as Celtic attackers this summer.

First, Jota will be at least Christmas in April after Tannadice ruptured the ACL.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Kühn seems likely to leave the club in this window, as both RB Leipzig and Como are currently fighting for his signature, reporting that the Germans are priced at around £15 million.

Therefore, the arrival of NYGREN alone is not enough, so according to the report of the Dutch media mass mass van Antwerp, the Celtics’ “main focus” is Michel-ange Balikwisha of Royal Antwerp.

They claim that the Belgian club has reduced its asking price from £5 million to around £4.5 million, while Antwerp “needs financial growth”.

The 24-year-old has a year left in Bosuilstadion, and the Reds failed to qualify for next season, taking them away from a strong negotiating position after defeating Europe 2-1 in the playoffs at Royal Charleroi in May.

So, can Balikwisha be the eighth Belgian for the Celtics, joining current midfielder Arne Engels while following in the footsteps of Boli Boli Boliy-Mbombo, Charly Musonda, Dedryck Boyata, Jason DeNayer, Jason Denayer and Joos Valgaeren?

How Michel-ange Balikwisha improves Celtics

In fact, Balikwisha suffered a very painful year due to an injury, first requiring knee surgery in January 2024, which actually actually brought his potential to Glasgow and then on March 9 of the season, 149 minutes of action ahead of the season due to thigh issues.

Still, he did start Antwerp’s last ten Jupiter Professional League fixtures to end the campaign, scoring four goals and has been a key figure in the Reds.

Back in 2022/23, when only 21 years old, Balikwisha scored 10 goals in all competitions as Antwerp won the first Belgian top tournament title in Belgium since 1957, while also taking the Coupe de Belgique, who won the goal in the goal in his final victory over Mechelen, and then again won the same opposition as Supercoupe de Belgique and later won several months later.

On top of that, Antwerp was then the first time in the Champions League group stage, and in the playoffs defeat of AEK Athens, Balikwisha packed Clincher and Shakhtar Donetsk scored points when he visited himself in the group stage.

So it’s clear that Belgian wide attacker has extensive advanced experience, but let’s evaluate his comparison with potential, future teammate Nygren.

As already mentioned, the last season was used for Balikwisha’s statistics as he has barely appeared due to injuries recently.

The table outlines the two wingers are actually very different in style, while Nigren is more target threats, so why he scores goals and registers more shooting percentages on the target.

On the other hand, Balikwisha is a creator from a vast creator who has accumulated more assists and big opportunities, as well as multiplied crosses, which is probably the most convincing statistic.

Analysts agree with Glavin, describing the Belgian as “creative, direct and technically keen,” while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout noted that he operates best as an “inside forward”, highlighting his “power, hovering and finishing”, which is his strength.

Elsewhere, analyst Ben Mattinson tagged him as “two feet” and “can beat the defender.”

So it’s clear that Balikwisha is the high-quality talent of the Celtics to ensure all their strength this summer.

Compared to Nygren, he is proven at the Jupiler Pro League level, which is the eighth huge division in the world according to global football rankings, while the Danish super Ligaen is slightly lower at 13th.

Similarly, Belgium has Champions League experience, Nygren did not compete in conference leagues, but did not have higher competitions in UEFA club competitions.

So of course, fitness allows, which all suggests that Balikwisha is more likely to come in and make an immediate impact.

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