Celtic find themselves on the cusp of another Scottish Premiership crown and could now be set to test the water for a talented winger who their manager is a huge fan of, per reports.
Celtic look to make summer mark with domestic clean sweep on the table
With Rangers lingering in the distance, Celtic are on course for a domestic treble and need a maximum of nine points to claim a fourth Scottish Premiership title in quick succession under Brendan Rodgers.
The Bhoys face St Johnstone this weekend before taking on Kilmarnock in their last pre-split fixture. They also have a chance to progress to the Scottish Cup final against the former as their dreams of a clean sweep remain in motion.
Looking ahead to the summer, Rodgers has hinted that Daizen Maeda’s Celtic progress could soften his hunt for a new striker, claiming the Japan international could be his number-one choice moving forward.
He stated: “I think he can be (the number-one striker). I think it’s one where to replace, to move him onto the side and take him out of the middle, with all due respect, it’s probably easier for us to get a top winger than it is a top striker.”
Daizen Maeda’s prolific campaign for Celtic – all competitions
Appearances
43
Goals
30
Assists
9
Backed up by the recent rumour mill, Celtic appear to be focusing on movement elsewhere and have identified Augsburg’s Elvis Rexhbecaj as a target to compete with Callum McGregor in the engine room.
On the same token, Liverpool’s Wataru Endo has been mentioned in dispatches at Parkhead. Now, true to his word, Rodgers is ready to revisit a move for a winger who he has had his eye on for a while to help strengthen the Hoops’ forward line.
Celtic ready to pounce for Royal Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha
According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are ready to relaunch their interest in Royal Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha after sending scouts to the Belgian side’s recent 5-1 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, where the DR Congo international registered an assist.
Valued at £5 million, Rodgers has had the 23-year-old on his radar for quite some time, even if fitness problems scuppered the potential of a January move to secure his signature.
Frustratingly, injury problems have limited Balikwisha to eight appearances this campaign, though he has created five chances and won 11 duels on Jupiler Pro League duty.
Labelled “amazing” by analyst/writer Ben Mattinson, Rodgers has previously taken a personal interest in pushing a deal over the line for Balikwisha, so it won’t come as a major surprise to hear that he is back on Celtic’s recruitment department’s agenda.
Champions League qualifiers are likely to provoke a swift turnaround in Glasgow, and there is every chance the Congolese star could be one of several arrivals ahead of 2025/26.
