Celtic transfer target drops cryptic message amid huge development

Sweden defender Gustaf Lagerbielke will jet into Glasgow in the coming days to finalise his move to Celtic with a medical now scheduled.

The 23-year-old centre-back will become Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers latest summer signing after a £3million transfer fee was agreed between the Parkhead club and IF Elfsborg earlier this month.

Viewed as a direct replacement for Carl Starfelt, who left the Scottish champions for La Liga outfit Celta Vigo last week, Lagerbielke is expected to be officially paraded in a green and white hooped jersey later this week.

He played he entire 90 minutes for Elfsborg in their 1-0 defeat to Hammarby at the weekend before all-but confirming it will be his final appearance for the club in a post-match interview.

He said: “Maybe, I don’t want to say anything before something is signed, but it may well have been. I know that the clubs have been in negotiations, that’s what I know. I have chosen to focus on this match. We’ll have to deal with everything else now after the match.”

Quizzed over whether moving to Celtic would prove a major step up, Lagerbielke responded: “Very much. A fun challenge to come to a big club in Europe and play the Champions League and hopefully win titles. So that would be fun.

“It’s a very big club with a good Swedish connection with Henrik Larsson, Starfelt, (Mikael) Lustig, and (Johan) Mjallby among others. They play the Champions League every year and win titles.”

Following Celtic’s 3-1 Scottish Premiership win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Sunday, Rodgers indicated the club were “very close” to rubber-stamping Lagerbielke signing and the player will put pen to paper once he has touched down in Scotland.