A player like Elijah Just would fit right in at Celtic.
But right now, the Celtic recruitment team are still asleep, as Just is making a name for himself at the 2026 World Cup.
Just scored a brace in his first World Cup match, as New Zealand earned a draw against Iran, and Ange Postecoglou wanted to give the Motherwell star his flowers.
The treble-winning hero at Celtic highlighted Just’s ‘unbelievable’ campaign at Fir Park, and how he is expecting him to depart this summer, as he told ITV’s World Cup coverage.
🤔 Have Celtic missed the boat for Elijah Just?
Ange Postecoglou expects Celtic transfer target Elijah Just to leave Motherwell
New Zealand are an underdog nation at the World Cup, so any positive performance from Just is huge because of the umbrella he is doing it under.
The versatile forward should be used to that because he starred for a Motherwell side that punched well above its weight last season, including a title challenge before fading away.
But Postecoglou hit the nail on the head when he stated that Just will now ‘get a move’, as he continues to write his name up in lights at the World Cup.
“Elijah Just has had an unbelievable season at Motherwell,” said Postecoglou. “He will probably get a move. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he gets a move from there.
“But they (New Zealand) have produced a lot of players like that – they have always had really tricky wingers or people with speed working around Chris (Wood). It’s a system they are really, really comfortable with.
“When you are so focused on a central man like Chris Wood, it opens up so much space for other guys.”
Could Celtic be priced out of a move for Elijah Just?
Last summer, Celtic were linked with Lennon Miller, but in the end, the young teenager secured a club-record transfer sale from Motherwell to Udinese for £4.7 million.
If that’s the ballpark for what Just could be worth, then it’s very much gettable for Celtic.
But the issue is the fact that Just is now on the world stage, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few more million have been added to his price tag.
If that’s the case, then Celtic’s inability to be pro-active once again in the summer transfer market will come back to bite them.
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