Journalist Anthony Joseph has explained how Celtic managed to land Benjamin Nygren from FC Nordsjælland on the cheap, thanks to a gentleman’s agreement between the player and his old club.

With Nygren in the final stretch of his contract and no new deal on the table, Celtic moved quickly to get him signed for a cut-price fee. The agreement meant Nygren was free to choose his next move as his time in Denmark came to an end.

It helps explain how Celtic picked up a talented wide man without getting dragged into a bidding war or paying over the odds. Nordsjælland’s stance gave Nygren and Celtic a clear path to get the deal done. It shows how timing and smart handling of contracts can be just as important as what a player does on the park.

Nygren had shown enough in Denmark to catch the eye elsewhere in Europe. But instead of seeing him walk away for nothing, Nordsjælland settled for a small fee, well below what a player of his quality might usually cost. Celtic saw the chance and acted, adding to a pattern of clever moves in the market.

It’s another example of Celtic doing their homework and making smart signings without throwing money around. Whether Nygren goes on to prove his worth in the green and white remains to be seen, but the deal itself looks like good business.

He said: (Off The Underside), “Talking of gentleman’s agreements, Nordsjælland had that with Benjamin Nygren.

“He was in the last six months of his contract and I was speaking to sources at Nordsjælland who said, ‘Yeah, we have a gentleman’s agreement with him.

“He came for three years. He’s on a three-year contract and he will stay for three years. We won’t try to offer him a new contract.

“He can go and we think it’s so beneficial to have him playing for us that we will allow him to pick his club and move on whenever he wants to.

We won’t try and negotiate a new contract.”

This gentleman’s agreement gave Benjamin Nygren the freedom to plan his next move without interference from his club. Nordsjælland kept him involved on the pitch during the final months of his deal and still managed to bring in a modest fee. For Celtic, it meant a clear opportunity to sign a player they wanted without overpaying or getting drawn into competition.

It’s another example of Celtic spotting a chance and moving quickly. The club has built a reputation for smart signings, combining solid scouting with a close eye on contract situations. Nygren’s arrival fits that pattern. By moving before his deal ran out, Celtic picked up a player with European experience at a fraction of the usual cost.

Of course, these deals aren’t without risk. Players can lose focus if they know they’re on the way out, and there’s always a question of whether they’ll settle in a new league. Celtic will be looking for Nygren to show the right attitude from day one. If he performs well early, it’ll back up the thinking behind the deal and settle any doubts.

There’s also the wider issue of how these gentleman’s agreements are viewed across the game. Smaller clubs often rely on informal understandings to give players a way out, but it can raise eyebrows when nothing’s written down. In this case, both sides have moved on, and the focus now shifts to what Nygren can bring at Celtic Park.