All the transfer talk so far this summer has been about who Brendan Rodgers is likely to add to the Celtic squad to strengthen it for next season.
As things stand, with Joe Hart retiring and Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo returning to their parent clubs, the club are weaker now than when it was when the final whistle went at Hampden in the Scottish Cup win over Rangers.
However, with the club seemingly looking to make moves to replace Joe Hart and discussions in place to sign Idah and Bernardo permanently, the squad depth should return to normal soon.
But with every incoming, there needs to be an outgoing to keep the balance of the squad right. And one player who could leave this summer is 2023 signing, Gustaf Lagerbielke.
The Aberdeen option for Celtic’s Lagerbielke
What Celtic do this summer could be crucial in how the Swedish defender’s Celtic career progresses. It seems very clear that Lagerbielke is not part of Brendan Rodgers’ current plans.
So what does the Celtic boss do? Cut his losses and sell or look at loaning him out to see how he performs with regular first-team football.
Personally, I would rather see Lagerbielke loaned out and the most obvious destination would be Aberdeen.
The Pittodrie club have just officially appointed Jimmy Thelin as their new manager. Thelin was Lagerbielke’s boss at Elfsborg before he sold him to Celtic last summer.
Prior to coming to Celtic, Lagerbielke performed really well under The Dons boss. So much so that he was named Sweden’s Defender of the Year. He has also gained international recognition with Sweden so there is clearly a player in there.
Clearly Thelin knows how to manage and get the best out of the 23-year-old defender. And looking at his age, Lagerbielke still has plenty of time to develop into a good player.
Celtic have had success at loaning players to the Pittodrie side in the past. Ryan Christie and Liam Scales both flourished up north before they came back to Glasgow to cement their places in the Hoops’ first team.
If given the opportunity, there is a chance the same could happen with Lagerbielke. I just think it’s too early to make a call on him at his age when he hasn’t really had the opportunity to shine at Celtic.
The only stumbling block would be his salary. Lagerbielke is said to be on over £13k per week at Celtic [The Scottish Sun] and that will prove to be too rich for Thelin’s Aberdeen.
But surely if a deal could be struck, would it not be better to sit tight and test Lagerbielke on loan than cut ties altogether? I reckon it could be.