Fabrizio Romano confirms growing interest over ex Celtic star as Hoops flop attracts Europe's elite leagues
The ex Celtic man was on target for Sweden in their dramatic World Cup play-off against Poland during the international break
Despite having an underwhelming career at Celtic Park, Gustaf Lagerbielke is now beginning to attract transfer attention from all over Europe, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 25-year old centre back has been a regular feature for SC Braga since departing the east end of Glasgow in the summer. Up and coming Ligue 1 outfit Paris FC reportedly tried to sign Lagerbielke in January and remain interested. During his time at Parkhead, he only notched 10 appearances in two years and was farmed out to FC Twente in the Eredivisie before making his move to Portugal.
Lagerbielke’s performances in the Primera Liga have saw him regain his place in the Swedish National Team starting XI. He completed 90 minutes in both of their playoff victories against Ukraine and Poland to help secure their place at the World Cup after a disappointing qualification campaign. Against Poland, he was set up by Hoops midfielder Benjamin Nygren for the third strike of a five goal thriller. Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres grabbed a dramatic late winner to cause jubilant scenes in Stockholm as the hosts won 3-2.
Former Celtic star attracts European attention
As the former Celt now targets a World Cup place, as well as a strong finish domestically for Braga in their European quest, Romano claims his exploits for both club and country have attracted interest from all over Europe.
He said via X: “Paris FC tried to sign Gustaf Lagerbielke in January, SC Braga didn’t want want to sell him. More bids expected this summer from top 5 leagues after his performances with Braga and Sweden, also scoring against Poland.”
Despite having a limited number of minutes in a green and white jersey, Lagerbielke did produce some memorable moments in his 10 outings. The defender made his debut at Ibrox in 2023 and notably won a goal-cancelling foul from Rangers striker, Cyriel Dessers to help Celtic to a 1–0 win. Later that year, he was on target in Europe as Celtic earned their first Champions League win at Parkhead in a decade against Feyenoord.
Sought after Swede reflects on Hoops stint
Lagerbielke featured for Braga in October when they defeated the Hoops 2-0 at Celtic Park in the Europa League. Prior to the match, the Swede stated he was looking forward to returning to Glasgow and that he still looks back on his Celtic career with fond memories.
He said: "It was a good year I had here [at Celtic], so it's nice to be back. If I summarise the two years, I would say that I learned a lot, both what it means to be part of a big club like Celtic and a lot of football stuff. Then, also in life, moving to another country and meeting new people and all of that.
"Then why it didn't work out? I would say it depends what you mean. During my season when I played, we won two titles [the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup], I met some incredible people and I learned a lot. I would say it was successful. The Feyenoord night was a good night. Scoring and winning [in the Champions League] for the first time in a while. Also winning the titles. Those were the biggest highlights."
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