Patryck Klimala confirms Celtic beat Copenhagen to his signature

By David Walton

January 19, 2020

Celtic striker Patryk Klimala’s move to Parkhead saw him dismiss a solid offer from Europa League rivals Copenhagen.

The Hoops completed the signing of the £3.5million star last week (Scottish Sun). He then went on to make his debut for the club in yesterday’s 2-1 win over Partick Thistle.

Klimala is Celtic’s first January signing as Neil Lennon looks to spearhead his charge to nine-in-a-row. Klimala will also be free to play against Copenhagen in the Europa League too. UEFA guidelines state that clubs can add up to three new players for the latter stages of the competition (UEFA, Page 41).

Celtic forward Patryk Klimala (Joachim Sielski/Bongarts/Getty Images)

And it could’ve been oh so different had Klimala not rejected interest from the Danish champions too. Speaking in the Daily Record, the Polish forward confirmed that the interest from Copenhagen was genuine.

“It’s true there was a bid from Copenhagen on the table.

“But as soon as Celtic came in with their offer I wasn’t considering any of the other clubs. I’m looking forward to playing against Copenhagen in Europe now.

“Every player’s dream is to be able to play in the European cups, not only the Europa League but the Champions League too. There is a different atmosphere in the European games, it’s special, and I am looking forward to experiencing that at Celtic Park.”

Klimala has much to do to guarantee a spot vs Copenhagen

In a fairytale world, Klimala would be in the team both in Glasgow and Copenhagen. Considering he rejected Stale Solbakken’s interest, it’s clear it’s all set up for him to be the difference next month.

But unfortunately, it isn’t a fairytale world. Odsonne Edouard will lead the line unless he’s injured – that’s just the way things are at the moment. The likes of Klimala and Leigh Griffiths will be playing second-fiddle and will likely make an appearance from the bench.

Celtic forward Odsonne Edouard (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Klimala only has seven games before the first leg in Denmark. If he is somehow good enough to usurp Edouard from the team, it’s going to take a lot more than seven games to convince us all.

There is, of course, the prospect of Neil Lennon playing with a 3-5-2. However, that’s not a formation he’s adopted in Europe this season. It would also be fair to suggest that the manager will be a tad more pragmatic with his approach and look to respect the opposition’s threats.

Again, that doesn’t mean the likes of Klimala won’t feature. Depending on how both legs go, he’ll likely get some game-time in a bid to put the Danish champions to the sword just a month after rejecting their offer.

It’s set up to be an intriguing last-32 tie. With a bit of luck, it’s us and Klimala who come out of it laughing.