Brendan Rodgers is keen to add a left-footed centre-back to his ranks and Justin de Haas seems to fit that bill.
Celtic have been linked with De Haas after the defender impressed in Portugal with Famalicao.
Rodgers has confirmed that Hayato Inamura won’t be in the first team and after getting rid of Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke in the coming days, another defender is going to come in and challenge Liam Scales and Auston Trusty to partner Cameron Carter-Vickers.
But how would De Haas fare at Celtic Park? 67 Hail Hail got the lowdown from Dutch outlet Voetbalzone to see what the 25-year-old could offer.
Justin de Haas given glowing review by Dutch experts
De Haas was one of the best defenders in Portugal last season and as a left-footed defender and Voetbalzone believe he would be a perfect fit for the Celtic manager’s style and could even force himself into the Dutch national team if he impresses.
They said: “He had a good season at Famalicao in Portugal and was part of the Team of the Week seven times. He’s tall, 6′ 4”, strong in the air and a good tackler. He’s strong on the ball and reads the game very well.
“He started at AZ Alkmaar and joined PSV later, though he didn’t really break through. He later played for Dinamo Zagreb, then Lokomotiv Zagreb and moved to Portugal in 2023. There he has really learned his trade as a defender. He has played at U16 and U17 level for Holland, though that’s some years ago.
“He has gone a bit under the radar in Holland and I don’t expect Ronald Koeman to put him in his squad soon. But a move to Celtic could change things of course, as that’s a huge club.”
Justin de Haas can follow in the footsteps of Virgil van Dijk
You only have to look at how Virgil van Dijk has gone on to become one of the best defenders in the world, and Celtic played a role in his rise.
The defender is older than Van Dijk was when he moved to Glasgow and if his experience of the Hoops is anything to go by, De Haas will love it too.
He told the Scotsman in 2023: “I [learned so much]. I played for FC Groningen for a long time, they are a mid-table club and sometimes you defend a lot, sometimes you can attack. But not like what I was used to at Celtic. At Celtic, the pressure was immense. If you draw you’ve lost.
“You had to win and that was something, that mentality, I definitely learned. But it was also learning how to play the British style with more direct, channel balls, a lot of fighting, headers. It was something I wasn’t really used to in Holland so it definitely helped me in order to be ready for my next step in the Premier League.”
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