Celtic have parted ways with Erik Sviatchenko after enjoying his services for just two seasons. His move to FC Midtjylland has been made permanent as per his loan agreement from early January 2018. The 26-year-old was not really a good fit at Glasgow anymore and found the perfect escape in Denmark. He enjoyed a lucrative spell with Midtjylland and helped them to the Danish Superliga title.
Sviatchenko signed with the Hoops in January 2016 for a reported £1.5m transfer fee. He made a total of 63 appearances for the club and scored 2 goals during that period. The Danish international was a starting option when he first arrived at Glasgow but soon fell into the rotation slots behind the likes of Kristoffer Ajer, Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic.
The injury to his knee was a major blow to his chances for first-team selection and Rodgers could not overlook the impressive displays of Ajer or Boyata. The Englishman has found an ideal core of young and talented players with whom he has managed to win two consecutive domestic trebles.
He also has made signings in Marvin Compper and Jack Hendry, which further hurt Sviatchenko’s chances. Rodgers also has Jamie McCart at his disposal. This transfer is the ideal move for both outfits as the Scottish Premiership champions were able to bank a significant amount.
The defender himself will be relieved to return home to his former club and start making a stronger case for international selection. He has already been capped 5 times but appearing regularly will improve his chances significantly.
Whether they were able to recuperate the whole amount has not been disclosed but it certainly will help their finances in the summer transfer window. Rodgers plans on making a few more key signings to the club, in order to put the side over the top.
His ambitions lie in making a good run in the European competitions since the domestic stage is clearly well taken care of. With Steven Gerrard given the reigns at Ibrox, Rangers are expected to place an improved challenge for the title but the Gers are still miles behind in terms of footballing talent as of right now.
The Bhoys already have a top-quality starting XI and one of the best benches in the Scottish top-flight. What they need right now is a marquee player who will be able to make everybody tick.
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It was unfortunate to see Charly Musonda’s loan move fizzle out despite starting out on such a positive note. The offensive line has talented options such as Moussa Dembele and Tom Rogic but still needs that cutting edge.
The defensive front, however, has been well taken care of by the current players and the departure of the Danish defender is not expected to take any significant toll on Celtic’s chances to make it to the top once again in the next season.
