Celtic could move on from Lagerbielke by signing “dominant” star

There are still less than two months left for Celtic to complete any incoming business, even though they haven’t made their first signing of the summer transfer season.

During the 2023–24 season, the Hoops won both the Scottish Premiership and the SFA Cup, giving them a domestic double. They may yet attempt to bolster their team in order to win further hardware the following season.

Following Joe Hart’s retirement, the Bhoys have Martin Dubravka of Newcastle United and Croatian sensation Dominik Livakovic is rumored to be moving to Parkhead to take over as Brendan Rodgers’ new top player. The Northern Irish manager may rotate his choices for central defender, which could result in some alterations to the Scottish powerhouses’ defense as well.

Celtic’s potential center-back rotation
Gustaf Lagerbielke, a Swedish international, is expected to leave Parkhead before the transfer window closes, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

The source did not, however, disclose any current team interest in the defender or the price the Hoops would accept for his departure after spending £3 million to acquire the Elfsborg native in the summer.

In the upcoming weeks, Celtic may ruthlessly cut ties with the Swedish washout and sign a promising free agent to take his place.  According to The Daily Record, Scotland international Scott McKenna has been on Aaron Rodgers’ radar for a “long” time. If the team needs a center-back this month, McKenna might be a target for them By acquiring the left-footed giant, the team would have a central defender on staff to protect them in that position, allowing them to cash in on Lagerbielke.

Why signing Scott McKenna would be beneficial for Celtic
McKenna is a seasoned and dependable center defender who would also provide natural balance on the left side, so Celtic should move quickly to get him.

The only other left-footed center back on the team is Liam Scales; the other right-footed players are Stephen Welsh, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Lagerbielke, and Maik Naworcki.

This implies that, with his ability to play out from the back on his preferred foot, the Scottish colossus could enter and give Scales competition for his spot.

McKenna made an impression during his loan stint with Kobenhavn in the second half of the previous season, as the table above illustrates. He was dominant in duels and completed a high percentage of his passes with minimal mistakes.

In his seven Premiership games, the 27-year-old titan—who pundit Chris Kearney once referred to as “dominant”—completed a greater proportion of his passes (85%) than Lagerbielke did.

Maybe Rodgers’ lack of playing time was due to the 24-year-old dud’s poor passing, but it wasn’t shocking given that he completed 81% of his passes in the Swedish first division in 2023, demonstrating how frequently he gives the ball back to the opponent more often than the Scottish lawman.