Celtic star heads to Champions League club for medical as 'close' transfer move to be confirmed in days
Defender was farmed out on loan last season
Celtic centre back Maik Nawrocki is reportedly on the verge of finalising his transfer to RC Lens as he heads to the north of France for his medical.
The 25-year old was assessing his options at the end of the season after a successful loan spell in the German second tier with Hannover 96, where he notched six goal contributions from defence in 17 appearances. Since moving to Celtic from Legia Warsaw in 2023, the Pole has largely struggled for minutes in a green and white jersey, however he did feature in both of their pre-season friendlies to date against Shelbourne and Sporting Lisbon respectively.
Ligue 1 runners-up Lens are looking to strengthen their options as they enter the Champions League for only the fourth time in their history. The club have already signed Nawrocki’s former Poland Under-21 international teammate Michal Skoras from Belgian side Gent for a deal worth around £5.1m. Meanwhile, the Celtic defender is reportedly valued at around £1.5m.
Lens ‘close’ to Nawrocki deal
According to Polish media outlet Meczkyi: “As it turns out, the Ligue 1 club (Lens) is eager to sign another Pole. According to our information, Maik Nawrocki is expected to join their ranks. The player is expected to be in France for scheduled medical tests. His transfer is expected to be announced on Friday.”
Despite the imminent deal, no fee or contact details have been officially disclosed by either club. Nawrocki is under contract at Parkhead until 2028 giving the Hoops a strong enough bargaining chip in negotiations. Overall, he made 18 Celtic appearances in three years in a spell where he hasn’t been helped by injury setbacks.
Hannover had the option to sign him permanently at the end of last season but weren’t able to fund it after narrowly missing out on promotion to the Bundesliga. Before Legia and Celtic, he started his career at his boyhood club Werder Bremen.
Nawrocki makes choice amid several ‘options’
Towards the end of last season, the defender was assessing his three options, to either try and stay at Celtic Park, make his move to Hannover permanent or move elsewhere. Due to external factors, Nawrocki has now been forced into the latter. He said: "There are several options for me at the end of the season. I could stay here, go back to Celtic or maybe go somewhere completely different.
“This loan move has worked out very well for me. It was important that I played regularly again after two years of hardly playing. The way we play is also good for me. I am closer to my family in Bremen too. During my time in Warsaw and at Celtic, we saw each other very rarely. Now it's only an hour's drive and I visit more often. I really like it in Hannover. The city is incredibly beautiful. I felt comfortable in the team right from the start. And the weather is also much better than in Scotland!"
The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly