Lagerbielke Lands in Braga; Celtic Eyes Jansson

Swedish defender departs Glasgow; Rapid Vienna winger on Hoops’ radar.

After an unsuccessful stint in Scotland, Gustaf Lagerbielke is poised to join Braga, with photos surfacing of him in the Portuguese club’s colors. Meanwhile, Isak Jansson has emerged as a potential target for Brendan Rodgers and Celtic.

Lagerbielke’s Move to Braga Imminent

Following a loan spell at Twente after struggling to find his place in Glasgow, Lagerbielke’s transfer to Braga is expected to be finalized soon. Despite praise from both manager Brendan Rodgers and captain Callum McGregor for his efforts in training, the Swedish international couldn’t secure consistent playing time.

Jansson Attracts Celtic’s Attention

With Nicolas Kuhn nearing a £17.2 million move to Como, Celtic is reportedly eyeing Isak Jansson. According to the Vienna chief, Jansson’s ability in one-on-one situations made him a target for Rapid Vienna and now for the Scottish champions.

The Vienna chief stated last month: “We needed a replacement for Nicolas Kuhn after he signed for Celtic.”

He added: “We asked our manager what type of player he was looking for in particular and he told us he wanted someone who could beat a man, one-on-one.”

Subsequently, a data search led them to Jansson: “We did a wide data search across our target markets and in terms of dribbling and taking on players, Jansson appeared in the top three.”

Furthermore, the Vienna chief said: “Usually, we would watch a player live, but with the timescale and the closing of the transfer window, we had no time and had to trust the data.”

He continued, explaining the low-risk nature of the deal: “The risk was relatively low because we also know that in eight to nine out of ten cases, the impressions from video scouting are confirmed during live scouting,” and “And with Jansson, it wasn’t a risk at all because we first agreed on a free loan first and then a small transfer fee of £200,000.”

Jansson’s value quickly increased: “One week after we exercised the purchase option in the season, we had an offer of more than £1 million on the table,” and “He will clearly be transferred for many times what we paid for him. He has been an amazing success for us.”

The potential acquisition of Jansson could provide a significant boost to Celtic’s attacking options. According to a report by Deloitte, player trading in football has seen a 15% increase in the last year alone (Deloitte 2024).