According to the reports from Daily Record, Celtic are interested in signing Bristol City’s winger Niclas Eliasson. Villarreal and Italian club Lazio are also said to be interested. Eliasson is in the final few months of his contract with the English club though Bristol City have an option to extend the deal for another year.
The 24-year-old has been a crucial part of Lee Johnson’s team so far this season. Eliasson has three goals and eleven assists in all competitions so far. Bristol City are keen to get the winger on a new deal. Moreover, the Robins are fighting to get into the playoffs in the Championship, and they are two points away from the sixth spot. Hence, it is believed that Celtic will have to spend a sizeable fee to sign him in January as City wouldn’t want to jeopardise their promotion chances.
Bristol City boss wants to keep Eliasson
The Swedish winger moved to the English club in 2017 for £1.8m. It remains to be seen what kind of price Bristol City would put up for him. Lee Johnson quite clearly wants him to stay as he said recently, ”The way I would see it is he has 18 months on his contract, but we would absolutely love it for him to sign a new contract. We value him hugely.”
Does Celtic need wingers?
The Hoops parted ways with Scott Sinclair and Lewis Morgan in this window. It would be understandable if the club would want to bring in a wide player in January. However, Celtic do have options in the form of Marian Shved and Daniel Arzani who can step up to the plate if required.
The duo have been ignored for most parts this season, and they are players who need some game time under their belt to thrive. James Forrest, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Ryan Christie and Michael Johnston are other reliable options, and hence, signing a winger shouldn’t be a pressing issue for the Bhoys even after some departures.
What can Eliasson offer?
Eliasson can play on either of the flanks, but he has been preferred on right-wing for most parts this season. The Swedish ace thrives when he plays as an inverted winger as he looks to drive into central areas from the right. Eliasson’s standout assets are his pace and acceleration. He has also added some end product to his game as he has 11 assists to his name this campaign.
However, we believe that Celtic don’t need to spend big to bring in the Championship winger in this window. Moreover, the Hoops already have some decent alternatives at their disposal, so a move for the 24-year-old wouldn’t make much sense.
