Celtic could be in for a busy end to the summer transfer window as they look to their business over the line before the deadline passes tonight.
Firstly, a club-record deal to sign central midfielder Arne Engels is on the verge of being completed after he arrived in Glasgow to put the finishing touches on his move.
The 20-year-old talent is set to put pen to paper on a contract with the Scottish giants after a fee of £11m was agreed with German side Augsburg.
Engels may not be the last central midfielder to walk through the door at Paradise this evening, however, as the Hoops want to add another option in that position.
Celtic closing in on Scottish star
According to Sky Sports, the Scottish Premiership champions are closing in on a late deal to sign midfield dynamo Luke McCowan from rivals Dundee.
The report claims that the two clubs are finalising an agreement that will see the 26-year-old midfielder move to the Glasgow giants on a permanent basis.
It states that Premiership side Hibernian have had four bids turned down for the left-footed maestro, including one that was worth up to £800k.
Sky Sports reveals that the Bhoys have agreed a fee of £1m to sign the midfielder, whose contract was due to expire at Dundee next summer.
Bad news for Paulo Bernardo
This signing could come as bad news to one of Brendan Rodgers’ other summer signings in that area of the park this summer – Paulo Bernardo.
The Portuguese midfielder re-joined Celtic on a permanent basis from Benfica this summer after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan but could now find it difficult to get minutes in the side.
Matt O’Riley’s departure has opened up a space in midfield next to Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor but the £11m fee set to be spent on Engels suggests that he has been earmarked to fill it.
That means that it could then be down to McCowan and Bernardo to fight it out to be the first reserve and first option off the bench, and it is a battle that the former may win – based on their respective form last season.
|
23/24 Premiership |
Luke McCowan |
Paulo Bernardo |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
37 |
22 |
|
Goals |
10 |
3 |
|
Assists |
5 |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
9 |
4 |
|
Tackles + interceptions combined per game |
2.5 |
1.4 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the £1m-rated star outperformed the Portuguese gem in and out of possession, despite playing for a side that was lower in the table.
He scored over three times as many goals and created over twice as many ‘big chances’ from a central midfield position, whilst he also made 1.1 more tackles and interceptions per game.
McCowan was hailed as a “game-winner” by former Hibs man Marvin Bartley and his statistics in the Premiership for Dundee back up that comment, as he provided fantastic quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
Therefore, his arrival should be bad news for Bernardo, in the short-term at least, as his presence in the squad could limit his game time this season, despite O’Riley’s departure.
