Incoming Celtic signing Maik Nawrocki has been tipped to be a mainstay of the Polish national team for many years by the Polish FA’s chief scout Maciej Chorazyk.
Nawrocki is widely reported to have travelled to Glasgow to sign for the Bhoys from Legia Warsaw for a fee in excess of £4m. Having completed a medical, it’s expected he is announced as Celtic’s latest signing early this week.
Still just 22, Nawrocki is actually eligible to play for two national teams – Germany and Poland – but has already committed his future to the Poles. That was in part thanks to Chorazyk, who has set up a continent-wide system to convince players of Polish descent to play for his country. It’s fair to say the FA official is a fan of Nawrocki’s defensive talents.
He said [Sunday Post, 23/07 print edition, page 67]: “I believe Maik Nawrocki will go on to play for the national team for many years. He’s a player who has been in our system since he was 14 years old. We have been in constant contact with him and he’s played for Poland at all levels.
“He was even named in the original squad for the World Cup, although he didn’t make the final cut. I am certain he will go on to become an important player for Poland.
“He is a very good example of why it is important to get these players as young as possible. He is completely into playing for Poland and not Germany now.”
Seemingly just missing out on senior national team squads right now, it’s a good bet that Nawrocki sees a big move to Celtic as one of the keys to convincing coaches he can play at that level.
He has good experience with Legia to date and helped them win the Polish Cup last season. At 6ft3in, he’ll be a robust and physical addition to the Celtic squad and immediately compete for a first-team place alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt.
While we can never get carried away about new signings – they are always a risk – Nawrocki does have a good profile, is arriving for a significant fee and will excite supporters who were looking for additions to the defensive line.
Hopefully, the deal is announced soon!
In other news, Brendan Rodgers dishes out praise to Celtic fringe players who impressed him in Japan.
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