Celtic want £5m winger on Rodgers’ radar in January as Euro club CEO confirms Hoops’ interest – report | OneFootball

Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha is the subject of an ongoing interest from Celtic and manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of the January transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.

The Hoops boss wanted to bring the 23-year-old to the Parkhead last summer, but a serious muscle injury sidelined him for several months.

Royal Antwerp CEO Sven Jaecques recently confirmed that Celtic wanted Balikwisha and could come calling next month, and the Belgian club are expected to be very much open to doing business.

They value the attacker at £5 million and selling him in January makes plenty of sense as his contract expires in 2026.

Balikwisha ticks every box from Celtic’s perspective, and the Scottish Premiership reigning champions could do with quality attacking reinforcements heading into the second half of 2024-25.

The Bhoys were in talks with his representatives in the summer and could now resume discussions in the coming days or weeks over a potential deal.

AS Roma were also keen on the Celtic target in the summer after he ended last term with ten goals and five assists to his name.

Balikwisha started his career at Standard Liege where he notched nine goals in 40 appearances.

He has 25 goals in 124 matches for Royal Antwerp, and while the Belgium youth international is primarily an attacking-minded left-winger, he can also play on the right and as a second striker.

The Parkhead club will not be the only suitors after his services in January, and they may need to guarantee him regular playing opportunities to have the chance of convincing him to join them.

Balikwisha could prefer to end the campaign with Antwerp and decide on his future in the summer, and Celtic will likely remain keen on recruiting him if a January deal falls through.