Brendan Rodgers has poured cold water on claims that a Celtic delegation is currently in Belgium to finalise personal terms with Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
Reports earlier this weekend suggested Celtic officials had travelled abroad in an effort to push through a deal for the 24-year-old, who has been linked with the Parkhead club throughout the summer.
However, Rodgers was quick to downplay that idea when asked directly after full-time at Celtic Park.
Balikwisha remains a serious target for the club, with negotiations reportedly progressing well in recent days. But Rodgers made clear that, as far as he was concerned, any representatives involved in discussions were in attendance at Saturday’s match rather than across the Channel.
The Irishman maintained that talks are ongoing for a number of players and hinted that developments could arrive in the coming days, though he stopped short of confirming any deal was imminent.
He said: (Celtic FC YouTube), “Well, I think the delegation was at this game were they not?
“I don’t know who else would talk contract talks.
“There’s a number of players that we’ve been at for a number of months.
“So we’ll see over the next 48 hours what that looks like.”
Rodgers’ comments make it clear that while Celtic’s interest in Balikwisha is real, the deal isn’t as far along as some reports have claimed. The winger is thought to be keen on the move, and talks with Royal Antwerp have progressed, but a medical and personal terms haven’t been finalised yet.
It also shows Rodgers is keen to keep the focus on the current squad, especially after a solid and controlled display against Livingston. That win keeps Celtic in good shape heading into Kairat Almaty on Tuesday, where more movement is expected.
Balikwisha would bring more pace and width to the team, but Rodgers knows it’s important to keep things grounded until everything is confirmed. There’s still time to get deals done, but it needs to be done right.
For now, the manager’s message is clear: stay calm, and wait to see how things unfold over the next few days.
