Celtic are weighing up a £3 million move for Dutch defender Justin de Haas as Brendan Rodgers looks to sharpen competition at the back ahead of the new campaign.

As reported by Stephen McGowan, the 25-year-old centre-half is firmly on the Parkhead radar after impressing with Portuguese side Famalicão. De Haas has been watched by Celtic scouts and is seen as someone who could immediately challenge for a first-team place — not just add depth.

The club’s decision to send Maik Nawrocki out on loan to Hannover 96 wasn’t a shock. The Polish defender never nailed down a regular role under Rodgers and was clearly surplus to requirements. But while his exit hasn’t created a gap in the XI, it does underline the need for reliable, top-level cover.

With Stephen Welsh expected to return to Belgium and Gustaf Lagerbielke closing in on a move to Braga, Celtic’s central defensive unit is thinning. Hayato Inamura arrived last week from Japan, but the 23-year-old has been earmarked as a long-term project rather than a ready-made solution.

That leaves Cameron Carter-Vickers as the established rock, with Liam Scales and Auston Trusty — now entering his second season — rotating alongside him last term. Rodgers wants real pressure on those roles, and a physical, ball-playing option like de Haas fits the bill.

A former PSV and AZ Alkmaar youth product, de Haas has steadily built a solid reputation across stints in Croatia and now Portugal. At six foot four and comfortable in possession, he has the profile Celtic often look for in European recruits.

The Hoops aren’t short on numbers — but they are keen to lift the ceiling. If de Haas arrives, it would be with the clear aim of pushing for a starting role, not warming the bench.

Celtic’s summer rebuild isn’t about making up the numbers. It’s about taking that next step in quality and reliability across all competiti