Celtic have tabled an offer worth £3m for Elfsborg centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke, according to Expressen.
It is believed that the Hoops entered negotiations to buy the 23-year-old a few days and it remains to be seen whether Elfsborg will accept the bid being proposed.
Lagerbielke is not exactly a household name so a lot of fans on X are not sure what to make of the club’s attempts to sign the defender, although many assume he will be a like-for-like replacement for Carl Starfelt:
first time i’ve even heard this guys name tbh
— keem album 🔜 (@2phoneCCV) August 8, 2023
Starfelt regen nice
— aidan (@jotaonthewings) August 7, 2023
Are we required to have a Swedish player for European competition?
😂😂— Paradise Plaques (@ParadisePlaques) August 8, 2023
3M is a lot for what I would assume is a back up must be decent
— Charlie (@Chazza_67) August 7, 2023
Now we're talking 💪
— 🍀JP🍀67 (@JP6795800296) August 7, 2023
A swede for a swede, not bad.
— 平均的なラティフィファン (@AverageLtifiFan) August 7, 2023
This is a real footballer right here. Would be a great buy
— GiacZamb (@GiacZamb) August 7, 2023
Thats a quick replacement,hopefully not the last we see!!
— Ian (@scoblerone10) August 7, 2023
Lagerbielke’s reputation is on the rise
After a successful spell out on loan at Degerfors, the defender returned to Elfsborg late last year ahead of the 2023 Swedish Allsvenskan season.
With the campaign having reached its halfway point, Elfsborg sit top of the table, having lost just once in 18 matches. Lagerbielke has been a key player, with the defence conceding just 14 times; the best record in the Swedish top flight.
The Celtic target is already a fully-fledged international
Lagerbielke has been capped by Sweden at senior level, getting his first cap against Iceland in a friendly back at the start of this year.
The centre-half played the full 90 minutes as his team won 2-1. He hasn’t, though, been included in the squads for the subsequent fixtures against Belgium, Azerbaijan, New Zealand and Austria.
