Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that the club will bring in another central defender before the transfer window slams shut at the start of September.
The Hoops swooped to sign Hayato Inamura on a permanent deal earlier this month, but the Japanese defender is one for the future and another option in that area of the pitch is expected.
Rodgers already has Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, Dane Murray, Stephen Welsh, and Cameron Carter-Vickers in the centre-back positions, on top of the signing of Inamura, and they are looking for another.
CelticWay have reported that the club are weighing up a possible move to sign Dutch central defender Justin De Haas from Famalicão to add to their ranks.
The 25-year-old, left-footed, titan is valued at £3m by the Portuguese outfit, and could come in to compete for a place at the heart of the Hoops defence.
The role that Justin De Haas could play for Celtic
The potential signing of the Famalicão titan is an interesting one for the Scottish giants, because it would leave Rodgers with three left-footed centre-back options, in him, Scales, and Trusty.
Last season, the manager said that he prefers to play centre-backs on the side of their stronger foot because it “allows you to get through the pitch quicker and have more speed playing forward”, which suggests that De Haas will be competing with Trusty and Scales.
Based on their respective performances at league level in the 2024/25 campaign, De Haas’ biggest hurdle to making the starting XI could be the Ireland international.
Trusty joined from Sheffield United last summer and endured a difficult campaign in Scotland, as he ended the season as a back-up option behind Scales, and the Dutch star could come in as an upgrade on him.
Appearances
29
22
26
Goals
2
1
2
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.0
2.3
1.9
Dribbled past per game
0.3x
0.5x
0.2x
Clearances per game
5.4
4.0
4.8
Error led to shot
0
4
1
Error led to goal
1
1
0
Penalties committed
0
0
1
As you can see in the table above, De Haas could even offer more to the team than Scales, with more defensive actions and fewer errors leading to shots, goals, or penalties overall.
This suggests that he could be a starting-calibre left-sided centre-back option for Celtic if he can translate his form over to the Scottish Premiership, but there is also the possibility that he is a second-choice to Scales, with Trusty demoted to a reserve.
Overall, given he will need to adapt to the league, De Haas could be a back-up centre-back at first, which is why their pursuit of a new winger is an even more exciting prospect.
Celtic in talks to sign new winger
According to the Daily Record, Celtic want to spend the money they are set to rake in from Como for Nicolas Kuhn to sign two new wingers this summer.
The German forward is set to sign for the Italian side for a reported fee of £16.5m, which will provide the Hoops with funds to dip into the market themselves.
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This latest report from the Daily Record states that the Scottish Premiership champions are locked in talks with Royal Antwerp over a deal for Belgian winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
The outlet states that Royal Antwerp value the forward at a fee of around £5m, but they may lower it in order to push a transfer through in the coming weeks.
It adds that the 24-year-old attacker, who predominantly plays on the left flank, is keen on a switch to Parkhead this summer, which suggests that personal terms would not be too much of a problem if a fee can be agreed.
Why Balikwisha would be an exciting signing
Balikwisha would be an even more exciting signing than De Haas for Celtic this summer because he could slot straight into the starting XI from the first match.
Jota is set to miss the first half of the season with a knee injury, having suffered an ACL blow last term, and that has left a vacant spot on the left wing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Until a new senior centre-forward is in the building, Daizen Maeda could continue where he left off as the starting number nine, which means that he would not be the starter on the left flank. Therefore, Balikwisha could have a free run at the left wing position to be a starter in the Premiership.
This means that, unlike De Haas, Celtic supporters could expect to see the Belgian wizard in the starting line-up when the Hoops host St Mirren at Parkhead on the opening day in August.
As well as being a potential frontline starter, which the Dutch defender may not initially be, Balikwisha could also be a more exciting signing because he is an attacking player who has the potential to deliver goals and assists.
Starts
27
12
xG
6.46
2.65
Goals
7
4
Big chances created
6
7
Key passes per game
1.5
1.6
Assists
5
3
As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha has produced 11 goals and 13 ‘big chances’ created in his last 39 starts in the Belgian top-flight for Royal Antwerp.
The 24-year-old star was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, which is backed up by his return of seven ‘big chances’ created in 12 starts in the Pro League last season.
Balikwisha is a winger who has shown that he has the ability to deliver goals and assists at a fairly impressive rate in Belgium, which suggests that he could thrive in a dominant Celtic team that wins week-in-week-out.
The £5m-rated star could get supporters off their feet with his quality in the final third, as the anticipation could build whenever he picks the ball up in space out on the left flank.
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Therefore, the Royal Antwerp wing wizard could be an even more exciting signing than De Haas due to his potential to be an immediate starter, as well as him being an attack-minded player, rather than a centre-back.