Celtic’s move for Maik Nawrocki is on the verge of being completed, according to an update from reliable reporter Mark Hendry, sharing an update on Saturday morning.
Who have Celtic signed in 2023?
The Hoops have enjoyed a fairly productive summer transfer window so far, with Norwegian prospect Odin Thiago Holm, exciting attacker Hyun-jun Yang, Aussie star Marco Tilio and midfield enforcer Tomoki Iwata all arriving through the doors at Parkhead to work under new boss Brendan Rodgers.
There is still plenty of work to be done to tailor the squad to the returning manager’s liking though, especially after Ange Postecoglou’s star man, Jota, left to join Al Ittihad in a record departure worth close to €30m (£26m).
A centre-back looks to be next up on the agenda, with reports emerging late last week that the Bhoys board have lined up a move for Nawrocki, a promising 22 year-old Poland youth international who currently plies his trade for Ekstraklasa club Legia Warsaw.
Reports in the player’s homeland broke the news that Celtic had “entered the game” for the youngster and would compete with Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray for his signature, and it appears the Parkhead outfit have now won the race.
Taking to Twitter from Japan on Saturday, where the Hoops were in action against Gamba Osaka, Football Scotland’s Hendry said: “Nawrocki is in the UK to do medical tests and sort out his contract details with fine tooth comb. Expect real (deal*) to be completed soon.”
Is Maik Nawrocki good?
Celtic fans can be forgiven for not knowing much about their imminent new arrival, but the 6 foot 2 ace certainly looks like a player with real potential. He's been in the Polish top flight since he was 19, starting with Warta Poznan before moving to Warsaw.
His first season in the capital didn’t exactly go to plan, as one of the country’s biggest clubs slumped to 10th in the final league standings, but he did manage 18 starts in the top flight, forcing his way in as a regular feature in the first XI.
His second campaign with the club – this season just finished – Nawrocki started 23 games in the league as they shot up to a second place finish, and he actually proved to be a consistent source of end product from set pieces too, scoring four times and providing one assist to boot, averaging a direct goal contribution one out of every five lots of 90 minutes, an impressive rate for a centre-back.
The youngster has yet to make his mark on the senior national team setup. He has been able to break into the fold for their Under-21 side though, making his debut for them in 2021 having already featured at various youth levels for the Under-15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 sides, so one would have to assume it’s only a matter of time before that progression leads him into the senior set-up.
What probably appeals most to Rodgers is the defender’s versatility, as not only is he equally comfortable on either side at centre-back, but he can also function as a full-back or even further ahead in defensive midfield, which likely reminds the boss of another towering player he had at his disposal during his last stay in Glasgow, Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer.