Gustaf Lagerbielke on how Celtic loan exit came about as his Twente priorities become clear

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Gustaf Lagerbielke became a summer window casualty for Celtic as he moved to FC Twente on a loan deal for the entirety of the campaign.

After completing his switch to the Eredivisie, Twente sporting director Arnold Bruggink admitted the club couldn’t afford to sign the Sweden international on a permanent basis, but the chance to play regular football suits his need for minutes.

Lagerbielke has yet to make a senior appearance for the Dutch outfit. However, late-window transfers can be slow-burners; his chance of first-team football will come eventually.

Unfortunately, it never really got going for the 24-year-old at Celtic. In ten appearances, he scored a solitary goal against Feyenoord in the Champions League, though he spent much of last campaign on the periphery after joining for £3 million from Elfsborg.

Speaking to Fotbolldirekt, Lagerbielke has laid out what he plans to achieve at Twente this campaign as they look to go from strength to strength under Joseph Oosting.

Gustaf Lagerbielke’s hopes for Twente spell

Firstly, Lagerbielke addressed how his Celtic loan exit came about, telling the outlet: “I didn’t get much playing time at Celtic and both me and the club agreed that a loan would be very good for both parties. Then I considered my options and there were some clubs in many different countries.

“I compared the pros and cons of all of them and had meetings with different clubs. After the meeting with Twente, it felt like it was a very good match, then the choice fell on it.”

Later, he expanded on why Twente was the perfect fit, saying: “They have a very clear focus on development with the way they train. They have a fairly small squad where they put a lot of responsibility on each player. That combined with playing in the Dutch league which is very good together with the Europa League felt like a perfect combination.”

Finally, Lagerbielke laid out his hopes for his time in the Netherlands: “First and foremost, it’s about playing and being an important player in the team. With that comes development and, hopefully, titles too. Then you play every game to win, so it goes a bit hand in hand.”

Gustaf Lagerbielke has an exciting opportunity at Twente

Although he hasn’t come into consideration yet, Lagerbielke has a chance to further his career by gaining regular experience in a Twente side that looks set to be in contention for continental qualification this term.

Another carrot on offer is their involvement in the expanded Europa League league phase, with a minimum of eight games in the competition setting the scene for his involvement.

Realistically, it feels unlikely that Lagerbielke will be able to revive his Celtic career. Sometimes, things don’t work out; that is the reality of football.

Nevertheless, if he can enjoy a solid loan spell at Twente, the Bhoys may be able to recoup the fee they shelled out for his services in 2023.