Latest news with #Balikwisha
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Michel Ange Balikwisha to Celtic is now 'possible' as next transfer on the brink with two mega exits vetoed
Royal Antwerp boss Stef Wils admits it is "possible" that Michel-Ange Balikwisha will leave the club soon amid interest from Celtic. Talks over a move that would bring the wide man to Parkhead have been ongoing as Brendan Rodgers looks to add the winger as a successor to Nicolas Kuhn after his £17.2million move to Como. The 24-year-old has been a long-term target for the Scottish Premiership champions and reports suggest he is keen on the move. READ MORE: Arne Engels in powerful Celtic response to direct question about the future of dazzling Daizen Maeda READ MORE: Daizen Maeda in transfer hint amid Brentford swirl as Celtic face £6m price drop with three deals required Cash-strapped Antwerp are also on the brink of a summer fire sale with wide man Balikwisha among the players that the Belgian side are keen to move, after he entered the final year of his contract. Despite this, boss WIls has consistently picked the forward in his pre-season squads - with Balikwisha scoring on Saturday in the win over Willem II. Asked by Nieuwblad if the sale of the winger was on the cards imminently, Wils said: "That's possible, yes. 'I'm just working with the guys who are here at the moment. They all have the qualities to play here, so it would be foolish not to use them." One transfer that is set to get over the line is Marco Tilio's departure for Rapid Vienna. The Austrian side have been trailing him since his successful 18-month loan at Melbourne City - and despite regularly featuring for the Hoops in pre-season the Australia international's Celtic career looks to be coming to an end. Sky Sports Germany report that the 23-year-old will leave on loan with an obligation to buy for €1.5 million next summer. Daizen Maeda's future has been questioned amid ongoing contract talks with Brentford said to be among the clubs interested - while his fellow Japan international Reo Hatate has been touted with a switch to Udinese. But Hoops' hero Stiliyan Petrov reckons that the door should be closed on the duo departing this summer - and questioned why they would want to leave Glasgow's east end at this stage. Asked about the duo, Petrov told the Sunday Post: "When you win trophies year in and year out and do well in Europe, your players will attract attention. "That is only natural. But Celtic is a brilliant place to be and not too many footballers get the opportunity to play in front of 60,000 fans every other week. "I accept there are a few other leagues stronger than the Premiership. There is an attraction, of course. "I felt that many years ago when I wanted to try English football and signed for Aston Villa. "But I feel Celtic is a really good place to be right now. There is so much to look forward to. "Brendan is a top manager and he improves players. He loves to work on the grass on a daily basis and gets so much enjoyment out of his coaching sessions. The team is going for sessions. "The team is going for another league title and that will be five-in-a-row. So, what's not to like? "The new season will be here before we know it and the real business will be underway. "I hope the Celtic squad is settled by then and the manager knows what he has to work with."
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Celtic have three surging transfer priorities as Michel Ange Balikwisha makes intentions clear
Brendan Rodgers wants quality signings in the door before next month's Champions League play-off Celtic are refusing to give up on their long-running pursuit of Michel Ange Balikwisha. The Hoops have identified the Royal Antwerp winger as one of their top targets this summer as Brendan Rodgers desperately seeks to add more firepower to his frontline. Celts are down to the bare bones in terms of wide options following Nicolas Kuhn's £17million exit to Como and Jota sidelined until 2026. Balikwisha, 24, has been on the radar for a while and the Parkhead club were ready to move for him in January before he suffered his last injury. The lightning-quick Belgian is out of contract next summer and Celtic hope to land him for a cut-price deal. Cash-strapped Royal Antwerp are open to selling their star man rather than risk losing him for nothing at the end of this season. But sporting director Marc Overmars is reluctant to budge on the £5m price tag, with Celts keen to meet somewhere in between. The player's representative Jibril Rekkab claimed that there hasn't been contact between both clubs but Record Sport understands discussions have taken place. It's believed Antwerp know that Balikwisha wants to move to Scotland but are playing hardball as they look to get the best fee they can as his contract runs down. Meanwhile, there were reports that Go Ahead Eagles had turned down Celtic's £1.5m bid for talented winger Jakob Breum. However, Danish sources have dismissed that and claimed the Hoops' interest hasn't been renewed. As well as a new winger, the Scottish champions are also in the market for a main striker, while another midfielder remains a top priority. Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the-minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp, where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Major Michel-Ange Balikwisha to Celtic update as agent speaks out on potential transfer deal and reveals player's stance
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MICHEL-ANGE BALIKWISHA has been a constant name in the Celtic transfer circles for much of the past year. But it looks like the Hoops might be no closer to landing the winger. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 3 Michel-Ange Balikwisha has been consistently linked with a move to Celtic Credit: AFP 3 Brendan Rodgers will want to add attacking reinforcements this summer Credit: Getty Celtic are in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer, and the wide areas are likely to be a priority. Nicolas Kuhn has left Parkhead to join Como while big January signing Jota is out injured until next year. Celtic's link to Antwerp attacker Balikwisha just hasn't gone away. Fuel was added to the fire last week too when the 24-year old sat out training with the Belgian club. He has, however, gone on to feature in their pre-season matches. Earlier this month, reports out of the country suggested that the Hoops were getting close to an agreement with Antwerp for Balikwisha. However, that might not be the case after all. Balikwisha's agent has claimed the player would be interested in a move to Celtic. But he says that there are NO conversations between the clubs regarding the player. Agent Jibril Rekkab told the Daily Record: "Michel-Ange is not closed to the idea of joining Celtic, but the club would still have to come forward. Inside ex-Celtic and Scotland star's £3m property empire as free agent spends almost £1m on two properties in St Andrews "No discussions are underway." Over the weekend, Antwerp boss Stefan Wils admitted Balikwisha could be sold. Celtic bid farewell to yet another winger at the beginning of this week. Luis Palma sealed a loan move to Polish champions Lech Poznan on Monday. The Honduras international was largely frozen out under Brendan Rodgers last season and spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Olympiacos. But the Greek giants neglected to sign the 25-year old permanently and he'll now be playing his football in Poland instead. Palma could be thrust straight into the action tonight when Lech Poznan take on Icelandic champions Breidablik in a Champions League qualifier. 3 Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Celtic hit the button on Michel Ange Balikwisha transfer as signing chase reaches climax
Antwerp have been holding out but now the Premiership champions are primed to push for the winger they covet most Celtic are set to up the ante to try to finally seal a move for Michel-Ange Balikwisha. The Hoops have been in talks with club officials at Royal Antwerp to land the winger over multiple weeks. Antwerp boss Stef Wils admitted publicly at the weekend that his star man wanted to make the move to the Premiership champions. The issue is that Celtic's offers so far have been below the Belgian side's valuation but the Hoops are hoping that a deal can be struck somewhere in between and are pushing for the outcome. They also know Balikwisha is in the last year of his contract and if they don't sell in this window they his value will plummet. Celtic have been keen on the 24-year-old for more than a year and were ready to move before he suffered his last injury. Celtic have already sold Nicolas Kuhn to Italian side for more than £17 million to further boost the club's coffers. Balikwisha operates primarily on the left wing and his signing would be a statement of intent days after Brendan Rodgers appealed for added firepower in the final third with Jota missing until 2026. Balikwisha's agent Jibril Rekkab – speaking exclusively to Record Sport – was keen to play it cool. However, we understand Celtic are primed to strike. Rekkab said: "Michel-Ange is not closed to the idea of joining Celtic, but the club would still have to come forward. No discussions are underway." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Celtic community here.
Glasgow Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Celtic transfer latest as agent gives Balikwisha update
The Royal Antwerp winger has been a target for some time but the player's agent has confirmed there are no discussions. The 24-year-old has been on the radar since last year and was believed to be a potential signing until he sustained an injury. The latest speculation suggested a move could be imminent, with Antwerp's manager Stef Wils indicating an exit for the player was "very possible." Balikwisha is in the final year of his contract, and the Belgian club are open to selling to generate funds. He said: "Michel-Ange is not closed to the idea of joining Celtic, but the club would still have to come forward. "No discussions are underway." [[Celtic]] manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to strengthen his squad, particularly in the winger position, after selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como for £17 million. However, no approach has been made for Balikwisha yet.
