Celtic will finish the season on Saturday, with attention being focused on the summer transfer window and what it takes to improve the team to go back to the next semester.
Hoop already knows that after Portuguese winger Jota suffered injuries to eliminate most of the 2025/26 campaign, they may have to greatly expand their options.
He was forced with a knee injury in the first half of his 5-0 victory at Dundee United and is currently set for six to nine months on the bystander with cruciate ligament injuries.
This means that attackers who rejoined the hoops from Rennes in January in a permanent deal could miss most or all of the first half of next season.
Jota had produced four goals and two assists in seven starts in the Scottish premiership before the injury hit.
So Celtic might be in the market for new wingers in the summer transfer window, which will officially open for business next month.
Why Sondre Orjasaeter is a good signing for Celtic
Journalist Anthony Joseph, who wrote for Sky Sports on Saturday, claimed that the club could return this summer with the Salpsborg star move.
Reporters added that the Premiership Champion ultimately signed Jota from Rennes before turning down multiple bids for Norwegian Youth International.
67hailhail reported in its window that Hoop had rejected a £4.4m offer to the 21-year-old starlet as the Norwegian side had postponed it at a £7m fee.
£7 million is a substantial amount of cash to splash young talents who have not proven themselves outside of their country, but his format of Sarpsborg suggests he could make an exciting Celtic signature.
Sondre Orjasaeter (Elite Series) | 2024 | 2025 |
---|---|---|
exterior | 28 | 7 |
the goal | 5 | 1 |
I missed a big opportunity | 5 | 2 |
A big opportunity has been created | 12 | 7 |
Key Passes for each game | 1.9 | 2.0 |
assist | 5 | 2 |
Dribbling completed per game | 2.4 | 2.7 |
Statistics via Sofascore |
As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter has provided quality in Elite Trien since its launch last year as a scorer and primarily the creator of the latter. So it can be an excellent signature to fill in the blank left by Jota’s injury.
However, Jota’s £7 million price tag could be a sticking point, especially as he returns at some point next season. So I was able to turn to alternative options to forget about Orjasaeter.
Celtic was able to return to Belgian star
In the aforementioned Sky Sports article, Anthony Joseph reported that Royal Antwerp attacker Michel Ange Balikwisha is a long-term Celtic relocation target.
The journalist added that the 24-year-old wizard has been highly recommended by the club by their scouts, who were impressed by his performance in Belgium.
Joseph argued that the Scottish giants could plunge towards the professional league stars in the upcoming summer transfer window, and that he could come cheaper than Orjasateter.
The Scottish Sun reported in April that the impressive winger is currently valued at £5 million by Royal Antwerp.
With this in mind, Rogers was able to save the club £2 million transfer fees by forgetting all about Orjasateta and signing the board to sign Balikwisha as an emergency replacement for Jota this summer.
Why Celtic should sign Michelle Gin Balikwisha
According to UEFA, Belgium is currently ranked in Europe’s eighth best league based on the coefficient rankings that are No. 11th and Norway’s third place. This suggests that Belgian standards are superior to Norwegian standards, at least among top clubs.
So when determining how effective he is in making an impact in the upcoming season of Celtic, especially in the Champions League, we can put more weight behind Balikwisha’s performance in the Pro League than Orjasai Teter in Eliterien.
The Norwegian starlet has caught the eye with six goals and seven assists in Sarpsborg’s final 35 Eliteserien games, but the Belgian ace offered a similar level of quality while playing in a more challenging league.
X’s scout Emile described the £5 million rated star as a “easy” signature for the first team with a winger who “wins the game himself”;
Balikwisha’s performance in the professional league suggests that he is a player who can become a different maker in the final third to win the match on his side with goals and assists.
Michelle Ginbariza (Pro League) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
---|---|---|
start | 27 | 11 |
xg | 6.46 | 2.26 |
the goal | 7 | 4 |
A big opportunity has been created | 6 | 7 |
Key Passes for each game | 1.5 | 1.6 |
assist | 5 | 3 |
Statistics via Sofascore |
As you can see from the table above, Belgian gems have produced 11 goals this season and “big chances” with 11 goals this season, speaking to the kind of quality they can offer at the top end of the pitch since returning from injury.
Right-footed left wing Balikwisha outperforms his XG in each of the last two seasons of Belgium’s top flight.
Celtic Target also produced one goal and one assist in two Champions League qualifiers to help his team compete in the group stage in the 2023/24 campaign after scoring one goal in five matches in the group stage.
This shows that unlike Orjasaeter, he also has experience in the top stages of European football.
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Therefore, Rogers must urge Celtic to forget about Orjasateta by signing Balikwisha.