Celtic now favourites over Rangers to land £6.5m-rated player
Celtic are now viewed as the frontrunners to land a £6.5 million-rated midfielder.
Celtic have emerged as favourites to sign highly rated Danish midfielder Silas Andersen, but questions remain over whether the club will spend big in that position with only days left in the January window.
Both Celtic and Rangers were linked with the 21-year-old earlier this month. However, reports in Sweden now suggest the Ibrox side have stepped back from the race, leaving Celtic as the leading contenders for his signature.
According to the Daily Record, citing Fotboll Direkt, the Scottish champions are now viewed as front-runners to land Andersen from Swedish side Hacken.
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Celtic now favourites over Rangers to land £6.5m-rated player
The Allsvenskan club have already turned down a bid of around £3.2 million from another suitor and are believed to value the midfielder closer to £6.5 million.
Andersen has built a strong reputation in Sweden, with his age, technical ability, and versatility in midfield making him an attractive long-term option. At 21, he fits the profile of a player who could be developed and later sold on at a profit, a model Celtic have followed in recent years.
Even so, it is unclear whether Celtic will table an offer that matches Hacken’s demands in this window. Supporters have been calling for reinforcements up front and on the wings as higher priorities, with the squad short of goals after several departures over the past year.
Time is running out for Celtic to strengthen the key areas identified by Martin O’Neill. Any move for Andersen at close to £6.5 million would represent a major investment and might be more realistic in the summer, when there is more time to plan and reshape the squad.
