This is set to be just the beginning of an influx of Celtic signatures this summer.
On Friday, Benjamin Nygren was announced as a Celtic player and arrived from Norgeland with a reporting fee of £1.3 million.
He is the third recruit of the summer so far, after Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan, but more people follow.
Search for new wingers in Celtic
This summer, everything could change from a broader Celtic attacker perspective.
First, Jota will be on the sidelines until at least Christmas after ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament at Tannadis in April.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Kühn seems likely to leave the club during this window, given that RB Leipzig and Como are currently fighting for his signature.
Therefore, it is not enough to arrive in Niglen alone, so as a report by the Dutch Outlet Gazette van Antowapen, via the Daily Records, the “main focus” of the Celtic is Michel Ann Balikwisha of Royal Antwerp.
They alleged that the Belgian club “cut the asking price from around £5 million to around £4.5 million,” and Antwerp “needs financial support.”
The 24-year-old has only a year left on his contract at Bossil Stadion, but the Reds also were unable to qualify for Europe next season, defeating the playoffs 2-1 by Royal Charleroy in May, leaving them far from their strong negotiated position.
So, did Balikwisha become the eighth Belgian to play for the Celt and join current midfielder Arne Engels and follow in the footsteps of Boli Boringori Mbombo, Charlie Mousonda, Dedrik Boyata, Jason Denneier, and Valgalen?
How Michel Gange Balikwisha can improve Celtic
Balikwisha had actually just endured a rather miserable year due to her injuries and first required knee surgery in January 2024. This actually took away a potential move to Glasgow this season, before seeing the disastrous 149 minutes of action this season due to thigh issues.
Nevertheless, he began each of Antwerp’s final 10 Jupiler Pro League fixtures, ended the campaign, scored four goals, and was a key figure for the Reds in the past.
At just 21 years old in 2022/23, Balikwisha won her first Belgian top flight title since 1957, earning Coupe de Belgium, who scored 10 goals in all competitions and ultimately won Meschellen.
In addition to this, Antwerp made his first appearance in the Champions League group stage since then. Balikwisha scored when Shakhtar Donetsk visited in the group phase itself after bagging the clincher during the AEK Athens playoff round victory.
So, it’s clear that the wider Belgian attacker has many high levels of experience, but let’s evaluate how he compares to his future teammate, Nygren.
Michel-ange Balikwisha vs Benjamin Nygren | ||
---|---|---|
statistics | Balance 23/24 | Nygren 24/25 |
exterior | 44 | 32 |
Min | 3,437 | 2,751 |
the goal | 10 | 16 |
assist | 8 | 4 |
Target % shot | 38.2% | 48.8% |
cross | 157 | 31 |
A big opportunity has been created | 7 | 6 |
Take-on Success% | 54.65% | 56.8% |
Average Sofa Score Rating | 7.56 | 7.42 |
Statistics provided by TransferMarkt, fbref.com and Sofascore |
As already mentioned, the previous season was used for Balikwisha’s statistics, given that it was rarely featured during the latest campaign due to injuries.
The table overview is why these two wingers are actually very different stylistically, and Nygren scored more goals and registered more shots on targets, as they were in fact stylistically and Nygren was a much more target threat.
Balikwisha, on the other hand, is a creator who accumulates wider, more assists and greater opportunities, exponentially numerous crosses, perhaps the most prominent statistic.
Analyst Will Gravin agreed, describing the Belgian as “creatively, directly and technically sharp,” while football talent scout Jacek Kulig said he emphasized his “pace, dribbling, finishing.”
Elsewhere, analyst Ben Matinson labels him “two pairs” and “can be a defender anyway.”
Therefore, it is clear that Balikwisha is a high quality talent that Celtic should do everything in their power to ensure this summer.
Compared to Nygren, he is proven at the Jupiler Pro League level, but according to global football rankings, he is the eighth strongest division in the world, with Denmark’s Super Rigaen being a bit lower at 13th.
Similarly, Belgium boasts Champions League experience. This is something that Niglen does not own and has played in the conference league, but is not expensive when it comes to competitions at UEFA clubs.
So, of course, fitness, this all suggests that Balikwisha is likely to have an immediate impact when it comes in.
になったんです。 English: The first thing you can do is to find the best one to do.
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