Celtic have been fairly active throughout the summer transfer window in terms of moving players who are not part of Brendan Rodgers’ plans out of Parkhead.
The Hoops have cashed in on both Gustaf Lagerbielke, who signed for Braga, and Hyeok-kyu Kwon, who signed for Nantes, after they both spent the 2024/25 campaign out on loan.
Maik Nawrocki and Luis Palma have also been allowed to leave the club on loan for next season, joining Hannover and Lech Poznan respectively, as they look for more regular game time.
This shows that Celtic are starting to thin out their squad in order to make room for new recruits, as Rodgers has decided that those four players were not going to play integral roles for him on the pitch in the 2025/26 campaign.
These exits now mean that both of the centre-backs who were signed to replace Carl Starfelt in the summer of 2023 will not be part of the squad next season.
Lagerbielke and Nawrocki were both part of the squad in the 2023/24 campaign and the latter played a small role in the side last term, but they have now both moved on.
Celtic have failed to replace Carl Starfelt
The Sweden international signed for Celta Vigo in LaLiga shortly after Rodgers returned to Parkhead for a second spell in the summer of 2023, which led to the signings of Lagerbielke and Nawrocki.
However, the pair combined for just 13 starts in the Scottish Premiership in the last two seasons, and it has now been decided that they are not good enough to be regulars for the Hoops next season.
This shows that the Scottish giants failed to bring in a right-footed centre-back who is good enough to play in place of Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has missed 22 matches in the last two seasons through injury, or alongside him.
They had a player with the quality to fulfill that role when Starfelt was at the club, as the Swedish titan was a regular starter under Ange Postecoglou in the Premiership in the 2022/23 campaign before his move to Spain.
Appearances
28
Goals
3
Pass accuracy
92%
Clean sheets
11
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.1
Ground duel success rate
60%
Aerial duel success rate
70%
As you can see in the table above, the powerful defender played a pivotal role as part of the treble-winning team, winning the majority of his duels on the deck and in the air across 28 appearances in the league.
Lagerbielke and Nawrocki, as evidenced by how their careers at Parkhead have gone, failed to adequately replace him in the summer of 2023, but the Hoops are now eyeing a central defender who could be a Starfelt repeat.
Celtic lining up move for Swedish centre-back
According to journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, as relayed by The Scottish Sun, Celtic are lining up a potential swoop for Hammarby centre-back Victor Eriksson this summer.
The reporter claims that Rodgers sent his top scout, Paul Tisdale, to watch the Swedish colossus in action against Charleroi in a Conference League qualifier on Thursday night, a game in which he scored the winner in the 119th minute.
Nixon adds that the Scottish Premiership champions are monitoring the 24-year-old defender, hence why they sent Tisdale to assess him in the flesh earlier this week.
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It now remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops are prepared to pay the reported fee of £2m that it would take to prise him away from the Swedish outfit before the end of the summer transfer window.
Why Celtic should sign Victor Eriksson
Celtic should push ahead with a deal to sign the Sweden international because he could arrive at Parkhead as a Starfelt repeat, and not just because they were born in the same country.
The £2m-rated star is another right-footed central defender who could provide valuable back-up to Carter-Vickers, whilst also being competition and a potential centre-back partner for him. This is a role that needs to be filled, given the USA international’s aforementioned injury problems in the past two seasons.
Eriksson could come in as a Starfelt-esque figure in that respect to take up that position in the squad, competing with Carter-Vickers for a starting spot whilst also providing broader centre-back depth alongside left-footed defenders Liam Scales and Auston Trusty.
The 24-year-old titan’s performances in the Swedish top-flight in the last two seasons also suggest that he has the potential to be a dominant figure at the heart of the defence when called upon for Celtic, much like Starfelt was during his time in Glasgow.
Eriksson, who has only made one error that led directly to a goal in the last three Allsvenskan seasons combined, has showcased his ability to make numerous defensive interventions whilst also winning the majority of his duels in Sweden.
Appearances
17
18
Tackles + interceptions per game
4.2
3.3
Clearances per game
6.8
4.4
Dribbled past per game
0.4x
0.2x
Ground duel success rate
65%
50%
Aerial duel success rate
62%
71%
As you can see in the table above, the towering star is particularly dominant in aerial battles and is aggressive in his defending, with plenty of tackles and interceptions each game on average.
As well as being impressive on paper, the Hoops target is also highly regarded by his peers. Former teammate Abdelrahman Boudah said: “He can’t lose a duel, he’s an animal. I think he is the best centre-back in the Swedish league of all time. People don’t understand how crazy fast he is.”
Putting all of this together, Eriksson appears to be an incredibly dominant and mobile central defender who can use his speed and strength to consistently make tackles, interceptions, and clearances, as well as win duels.
This is why he could arrive at Parkhead as a Starfelt repeat. Not because he is Swedish, but because the Hammarby star has the potential to be a colossal right-footed centre-back for Rodgers next season if the club can get a deal over the line.
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