Celtic are closing in on the signing of Odin Thiago Holm after positive discussions with Norwegian side Valerenga, TV2 have reported this week.
The young midfielder is said to only be personal terms and a medical away from a switch to Glasgow after the Bhoys agreed to a fee of around £2.6m for his signature. No problems are expected before the deal is finalised.
The Norwegian broadcaster reports a 15 per cent clause on any Celtic profit from an eventual sale would also make its way to Valerenga.
It comes as former Celtic striker Harald Brattbakk compared his compatriot to another star from Norway – Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.
He told The Scottish Daily Mail [13/06 print edition, page 71]: “He’s from my home town. He moved from home quite early to Valerenga. He’s been consistently good. How well he’d fit into a Celtic team, I wouldn’t know because I don’t know who the manager is going to be.
“As a midfielder, I would say he is more attacking than defensive. Certainly, his work ethic is really good. He runs a lot and is one of those players who you don’t see all of the time during games, but he is right behind you backing you up or he is just in front of you taking charge.
“The manager wanted to play him young, so he’s got quite a few games at a high level. You can see that he has got potential. Compared to, say, a Martin Odegaard, maybe he has the same potential, but Odegaard got the potential out when he was 15. ‘It is always exciting to see when players move if they are able to reach the next level. You don’t know until they try.”
Still just 20, Holm has 76 appearances under his belt for Valerenga so Brattbakk’s comments ring true – he’s had a lot of football at a good level for his age.
Celtic were once famously linked with Odegaard when Ronny Deila was in charge and there’s value to be had in the Norwegian market if we get to young talents quickly enough. A firmer example of that in Glasgow comes via Kristoffer Ajer, who the Bhoys sold for a healthy profit.
Clearly, Holm has impressed our scouts and if given regular opportunities in the Bhoys midfield could prove to be as much of a bargain.
In other news, The timeline for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic appointment.
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