Former Celtic loanee Filip Benkovic is on the move again but has made a surprise switch to China.
Benkovic was once touted to become the next big talent in Croatian football but that hasn’t quite gone to plan so far.
The centre-back spent the 2018/19 season on loan with Celtic and impressed but has become a journeyman of sorts ever since departing Glasgow.
After one season with Swedish club AIK, the 28-year-old has decided to join the 11th club of his career, and the first one outside of Europe.
Who is a loan player you fell ln love with while they were at Celtic?
Filip Benkovic joins Shenzhen Peng City
His one and only season in Sweden saw him impress in the Allsvenskan, but that wasn’t enough for him and he has instead chosen to join Shenzhen Peng City.
According to Expressen, a fee of £700,000 has been agreed between the two clubs and his formal unveiling will take place later this week.
He will then begin pre-season training with his new teammates before the start of the Chinese Super League season, which begins on 6 March.
Former Celtic players who have played in the Chinese Super League
Connections between Celtic and the Chinese Super League are few and far between.
Only four other former Hoops stars have played in one of Asia’s most prestigious leagues, all of them largely flops.
Which Celtic player had the biggest impact despite spending one season at the club?
Two were Chinese internationals, including Zheng Zhi and Du Wei, who had a forgotten solitary appearance for the Bhoys.
Mubarak Wakaso and Mo Bangura were the final two but it was Zhi who was the most successful of everyone, winning eight Chinese Super League titles.
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