Who is Elvis Rexhbecaj? Celtic target looking to leave Rodgers 'All Shook Up' already has Hoops connection
The Scottish champions have ‘made contact’ with the Kosovo midfielder’s representatives ahead of a possible summer transfer
Celtic are preparing for a busy summer transfer window under Brendan Rodgers and could a tough battle to keep hold of some prized assets including Daizen Maeda, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Nicolas Kuhn.
The trio are all expected to attract interest from Premier League clubs after the season has concluded, with the latter already wanted by a host of teams including Newcastle United.
Should players move on, there will be room for new additions and one player who has emerged on the Hoops’ recruitment radar in the past 48 hours is Bundesliga star Elvis Rexhbecaj, a former teammate of Celtic’s record-breaking £11 million signing Arne Engels at FC Augsburg.
According to Foot Mercato, the scottish champions have shown a ‘strong interest’ in the 27-year-old Kosovo international and inquiries have been made into the player amid competition for his signature from several other European clubs, namely Turkish outfit Besiktas and Italian side Parma.
Who is Elvis Rexhbecaj and what position does he play?
,Born on November 1, 1997, Rexhbecaj started his career in the youth academies of Brandenburger SC Süd 05 and VfL Wolfsburg in 2010 before signing his first professional contract with his boyhood Bundesliga club in the summer of 2017. He gained first-team experience out on loan at FC Koln and VfL Bochum before joining Augsburg in July 2022 on a four-year deal.
A defensive midfielder by trade, Rexhbecaj has been a regular starter ever since, amassing 83 appearances across all competitions including 20 games in the German top-flight this term. In that time, he has scored four goals and contributed two assists.
Rexhbecaj expressed his desire to represent Germany on the international stage in 2021 after his parents fled Kosovo during the Kosovo War. However, he had a change of heart three years later by deciding to play for Kosovo national team, receiving his first senior call-up in August last year.. He scored his first goal for his country during the 2-1 Nations League play-off defeat to Iceland on Sunday.
Rexhbecaj ‘considering his future’ in Bavaria
Rexhbecaj has just over 15 months remaining on his current contract, which expires in June 2026. He is reportedly considering his future in Bavaria, where he has spent the entirety of his career to date.
It’s understood that FC Augsburg value the player highly and are keen to tie him down to a new long-term deal. Should he refuse a contract extension in the coming months, Celtic could eye a cut-price transfer fee if Augsburg are forced to sell him and avoid losing the central midfielder for nothing next year.
How would Rexhbecaj fit into Celtic’s starting XI?
Brendan Rodgers is expected to move on a number of fringe players this summer while the future of Japanese international Reo Hatate remains in doubts. That could free up space for a new midfield option and Rexhbecaj’s ability to play in a deeper role could see him become Callum McGregor’s long-term successor.
It is likely that Rexhbecaj would face a major battle to come straight into the starting eleven, but his arrival would help to drive standards even further in training with McGregor, Luke McCowan, Hatate, Paulo Bernardo and Engels also competing for a starting berth.
What has Rexhbecaj said about his future?
It might take some convincing from Celtic to push a deal over the line with Rexhbecaj appearing to be in no rush to leave the Augsburg with the summer window fast approaching. Speaking to the media in Kosovo last week, he said: “I am very happy at Augsburg and the move has paid off in every way. I have been a part of the team whenever I have been fit, and I do everything I can to contribute.
“From a personal point of view, I have remained true to myself and continue to grow. This is helped by the fact that I feel at home here; I have the feeling that I am here for the long term.
“We are definitely having a very good period and have created some distance between ourselves and the bottom of the table. However, we have to keep our feet on the ground; things can change at any moment in the Bundesliga, so we cannot allow ourselves to lose focus.