Aalborg sporting director Thomas Bælum has confirmed that the club would be interested in bringing Oliver Abildgaard back to the club.
The 26-year-old is currently contracted to Celtic, having joined the Hoops on a year-long deal from Russian side Rubin Kazan.
However, it would be fair to say his move to Glasgow hasn’t really worked out, having only made nine appearances and he is yet to start a competitive game for the Bhoys.
The second half of the campaign was expected to be a big period for the midfielder. However, the arrival of Tomoki Iwata has raised questions about his future.
The midfielder has also not featured for the Hoops in their last five games since the return from the winter break, only taking a place on the bench.
This has led to speculation of the Danish international moving on in the January window, and according to reports, plenty of clubs from Europe and the US are interested in Abildgaard.
Naturally, the media in Denmark are linking the Celtic man with a return to his homeland, with his former club Aalborg BK being the most speculated move.
Speaking to Danish media outlet Bold, Aalborg’s sporting director Thomas Bælum has confirmed the club’s interest in seeing Oliver Ablildgaard return.
Although the 11th-placed Superliga side would welcome him back with open arms, they understand it will be a difficult task, with reports suggesting Abildgaard isn’t keen on a return to Denmark just yet.
He said [Bold]: “We talk to Oliver a lot. We do this with all former AaB’ers. Right away, I think Oliver is looking for a shelf at a slightly higher level, and that’s also well symbolized with where he plays today [Celtic].
“It’s a high level above us, and I can’t fault him for exploring what options are on that shelf.
“But if the opportunity arises, we are of course ready to talk to him. He’s a great player and a great person, but I think he’s in a different place in his career right now.”
He continued: “There is interest from Denmark, but also a lot of other countries, so we are not afraid that we will not find a good club for him.
“As it stands right now, the arrow points to him staying abroad, but we’re not ruling anything out.”
January exit for Abildgaard seems likely as Celtic midfielder considers future.
Although there were high hopes for Abildgaard heading into this season, it simply hasn’t worked out for the Dane during his time at Parkhead.
Bigger things were expected going into the second half of the campaign. But he hasn’t featured enough to make a big impact, particularly during Callum McGregor’s injury absence.
It remains to be seen what will happen to the Danish international with his complicated contract situation, meaning his current deal at Parkhead runs until the summer.
But with plenty of reported interest, it feels like the most likely solution at this stage would be to allow the midfielder to find a new home and get back to playing regular football.
Unfortunately for Aalborg, it doesn’t appear as though Abildgaard is too keen on a return to where it all started for him quite yet.
But as the January transfer window goes on, you just never know.
We will ultimately have to wait and see how this one plays out in the coming weeks.
In other news, “It’s really rare”; English coach details the underrated value that led Celtic to sign key performer.
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