Calvin Stengs has been released by Feyenoord on a free transfer.
The attacker, who can operate as a number ten and on both wings, was widely reported as a target for Celtic last summer.
Many have put two and two together and suggested him as an ideal addition for Martin O’Neill, and on paper, he looks an extremely appealing prospect.
But Stengs’ injury history tells a different story: one of a player whose reliability as a marquee signing is under serious question.
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His recent injury record is damning…
Calvin Stengs would be a major gamble for Celtic
As of yet, there is no suggestion that Stengs is a target for O’Neill this summer; though the club have previous for holding long-term interests in players.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jakob Breum are recent examples of players who were targeted over several transfer windows.
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Stengs’ overall career CV is excellent for a 26-year-old.
He was a teenage sensation for AZ Alkmaar, starring as they came within inches of winning the Eredivisie title under Arne Slot in 2020.
However, an ACL tear he suffered as a 19-year-old was a sign of things to come. The tear kept him out of action for over 400 days.
Since his eight-figure move to OGC Nice in 2021, he has been hot and cold. After struggling for minutes, he had an unimpressive loan at Royal Antwerp before reuniting with Slot at Feyenoord.
There, Stengs scored in the Champions League against Celtic, enjoying his best campaign in years during the 2023-24 season.
This earned him a big-money move to Charlotte FC, or so he thought – he failed a medical at the MLS side, who ended up signing Liel Abada instead.
Stengs underwent knee surgery upon the collapse of his move, and has played just nine matches’ worth of minutes in the two years since.
It is worth stating, in fairness, that one of these matches was a European qualifier with the Netherlands against Gibraltar, in which he scored a hat-trick.
This just reaffirms the point that his talent and pedigree are not under question.
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Calvin Stengs would require serious attention as a Celtic signing
Stengs moved to Pisa in Serie A after Celtic’s interest last summer, but didn’t start a single league match in his loan spell.
Upon his return to Feyenoord this summer, he wasn’t released immediately. After taking part in the first three weeks of pre-season (even scoring in a friendly against Dordecht), his sudden release came from the blue.
Clearly, Stengs would require an extensive medical – but as Pisa learned, even a green light from the physios offers no guarantees.
If he does come to Glasgow after all, let’s hope that he spends more time on the pitch than on the treatment table.
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