Celtic have their eyes on a promising Austrian defender ahead of Euro 2024. The 23-year-old centre-back, who spent the latter half of last season on loan at Red Bull Salzburg, boasts an impressive CV, having come through the youth systems at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
This potential recruit, Flavius Daniliuc, is no stranger to Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn. The duo played together in Bayern’s reserve team, alongside former Rangers loanee Malik Tillman. Their paths might cross again this summer, with German reports suggesting Brendan Rodgers is keen to rival Salzburg for Daniliuc’s signature.
Daniliuc’s pedigree is notable. The 6ft 2in defender has three caps for Austria and a history of captaining his nation’s youth teams. His footballing journey began at Admira Wacker, followed by a stint at Rapid Wien. In 2011, Real Madrid snapped him up, where he honed his skills for three years before moving to Bayern Munich. Despite five seasons at the Allianz, first-team opportunities eluded him, leading to a move to French side Nice in 2020, where he finally secured regular playing time.
Sky Sports Germany reports that Daniliuc could don the green and white hoops, with Celtic eager to add him to their ranks. TransferMarkt have the big centre-back’s price around €6m.
Currently, Daniliuc is contracted with Italian club Salernitana, having joined them from Nice in 2022. His deal runs until 2026, but Salzburg’s loan agreement includes an option to buy, putting them in a strong position.
Should the defender make the switch to Glasgow, questions will inevitably arise about the futures of Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke, who struggled to impress under Rodgers last season. The summer transfer window could bring significant changes to the Celtic backline.
