£3m Celtic defensive target opens up on Chelsea transfer near-miss as Carter-Vickers fitness concerns alleviated
The Hoops have been looking into a possible deal for the ex PSV and AZ Alkmaar youth prospect who is on a clutch of clubs’ radar
Celtic are reportedly considering a £3 million move for towering Dutch defender Justin de Haas as manager Brendan Rodgers continues to reshape his backline.
The Scottish champions are exploring a potential transfer swoop for the 25-year-old, who plays for Portuguese top-flight side Famalicão and has been scouted extensively, according to The Herald.
Rodgers is eyeing more defensive cover after sending Maik Nawrocki out on a season-long loan to German second-tier outfit Hannover 96 over the weekend, with Gustaf Lagerbielke and Stephen Welsh likely to follow suit by heading through the exit door.
Lagerbeilke is on the brink of completing a permanent switch to SC Braga, while Welsh could return to Belgium after spending the second half of last season at KV Mechelen in the Jupiler Pro League.
Left-sided Japanese defender Hayato Inamura was snapped up on a four-year deal last week, but could also be loaned out to gain more first-team experience, having played only 12 months of senior football in the J-League at former club Albirex Niigata.
De Haas - who can also play on the left side of centre-back – is a potential option being looked at by the Hoops’ recruitment team, with the former AZ Alkmaar and PSV youth prospect having been watched by a series of clubs across Europe.
Standing at 6ft4’, De Haas moved on loan to Dinamo Zagreb before joining NK Lokomotiva on a permanent basis. Since moving to the Primera Liga two years ago, the imposing defender has made 51 appearances.
Celtic target opens up on Chelsea transfer near-miss
He recently broke his silence on missing out on a dream transfer to Premier League giants Chelsea when he was 19, having bounced back from a number of setbacks so far in his career.
De Haas revealed: “Chelsea showed interest in the winter at the time (2019), I actually had my mind set on that. AZ did not want to let me go at that time and kept me to my contract. They then got a transfer ban at the time. I couldn’t wait, but then I couldn’t play any matches for six months. Although Chelsea is of course top financially, it was not a good choice for my sporting development and that is why I chose PSV.”
Cameron Carter-Vickers’ fitness concerns alleviated
Celtic have already signed Kieran Tierney back for £9m from Arsenal this summer, while Liam Scales and Auston Trusty have been competing for a starting berth next to mainstay Cameron Carter-Vickers.
However, there have been short-term concerns over the American’s fitness of late after undergoing a minor surgical procedure during the off-season.
Carter-Vickers played through a couple of niggling issues last term but Rodgers has moved to alleviate fears that he could miss the start of the new campaign after confirming the player underwent a small clean-up operation to fix those problems.
He has now returned to training with Rodgers stating: “He needed to get the operation. We knew then the recovery time would just be the week or so. He’d miss a week. But he’s back working again and, hopefully, be ready for the next few weeks.”