
Deadline day for the January transfer window, despite it being February, has finally arrived and it appears as though Celtic still have plenty of business left to be done.
The club’s only signing of the window so far, Jota, made a joyous return to action for the Hoops with a goal in the 3-1 win over Motherwell away from Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
He may not be the only winger to arrive at Paradise before the deadline passes, however, as the Scottish giants reportedly had a bid rejected for Sarpsborg forward Sondre Orjasaeter, who is valued at £7m by his club.
A left-back could also be on the agenda for Celtic after they failed to bring Kieran Tierney, who is due to join on a free transfer in the summer, in during the current window.
Alex Valle’s loan from Barcelona was cut short last month and the Hoops have been linked with an interest in signing Manchester United full-back Tyrell Malacia on loan.
Celtic are also in need of a new centre-forward after they sanctioned the sale of Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes earlier this window, but it does not look like Mathias Kvistgaarden will be his replacement.
Why Celtic are unlikely to sign Mathias Kvistgaarden
Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph recently revealed that the Hoops have moved on to other targets after they failed to agree a deal with Brondby for the Denmark U21 international.
The journalist claimed that discussions between the two clubs reached an impasse due to a difference in valuations of the 22-year-old marksman, but it is one that they could pursue in the summer transfer window if the opportunity is there to do so.

That came shortly after Joseph posted that Brondby were looking for a fee of £10m, which would be a club-record sale for the Danish side, amid interest from Celtic.
Unfortunately, the Bhoys were unwilling, or unable, to spend that kind of money on Kvistgaarden, which is a shame because his form this season suggests that he could have been an exciting addition to the squad.
24/25 Superliga |
Mathias Kvistgaarden |
---|---|
Appearances |
15 |
Goals |
10 |
Big chances missed |
6 |
Conversion rate |
26% |
Assists |
4 |
Stats via Sofascore |
As you can see in the table above, the £10m-rated centre-forward has been in staggering form in the Superliga for Brondby, with a return of 14 goal contributions in 15 matches.
These statistics suggest that the Danish number nine could have offered a big threat in the final third for Celtic in the second half of the season if they had managed to reach an agreement to secure his services before the deadline.
Brendan Rodgers and the recruitment team could sign a fantastic alternative to Kvistgaarden, however, by swooping to sign one of their other striker targets.
Celtic’s interest in £8m forward
The Daily Record claims that Slovan centre-forward David Strelec is one of the players the club are looking at in their pursuit of a new number nine.
However, Slovan’s director general Ivan KmotrIk has confirmed that it will take a club-record fee for him to move on from the club and that an exit before the deadline is unlikely.
He told Sportnet: “If David leaves, it will definitely be a Slovak record. In the situation we are in today, however, I do not realistically see him leaving in the winter transfer window.”
The Daily Record adds that it would take a fee of £8m to sign the 23-year-old striker, as Slovan’s current transfer record stands at £5m, and that means that he would be £2m cheaper than Kvistgaarden.
However, it currently remains to be seen whether or not the Scottish giants are prepared to go to £8m to acquire the Slovakian forward, after they failed to agree a deal for the Danish ace.
Rodgers should, though, push for the Hoops to get a deal over the line for Strelec on deadline day because he could be a great alternative to Kvistgaarden.
Why Celtic should sign Strelec
As well as being £2m cheaper than the Brondby star, the Slovakia international has played in the Champions League this season and could immediately contribute in the play-off clash with Bayern Munich.
Strelec scored two goals in eight appearances in the league phase, which shows that he has experience in the competition and has the quality to find the back of the net at that level, and featured against Celtic.
The Hoops beat his side 5-1 on the night but the striker did offer a physical presence, winning three of his four aerial duels, and completed 89% of his attempted passes. This suggests that he could provide a strong option for Celtic when they need to go long, as he has the ability to dominate centre-backs aerially.
Strelec, who also produced three goals and four assists in eight Champions League qualifiers, has been on fire in domestic football for his current club, scoring goals on a regular basis in the Nike Liga.
24/25 Nike Liga |
David Strelec |
---|---|
Appearances |
18 |
Starts |
11 |
Goals |
10 |
Big chances missed |
5 |
Assists |
2 |
Stats via Sofascore |
As you can see in the table above, the £8m-rated star has been directly involved in 12 goals in 11 starts in the league for Slovan, and has been efficient with his finishing.
Strelec, who was described as “brilliant” at link-up play by writer Kai Watson, has only missed five ‘big chances’ to reach ten goals, which shows that the striker rarely passes up a good opportunity to find the back of the net.
His record is also comparable to Kvistgaarden’s at league level for Brondby and this suggests that they could offer a similar threat in the final third, whilst the Slovan ace would come in with the added experience of having already played in the Champions League.

Related
144-touch flop just showed why Celtic need to spend millions tomorrow
Celtic may need to dip into the market to bolster their squad on deadline day.
Therefore, Strelec could be a ‘brilliant’ alternative to the Dane due to his physical qualities, his experience, his price tag, and his finishing quality.