If a recent report from The Daily Record is believed to be true, Celtic are plotting a late move for Felix Horn Myhre. But the Hoops are not alone in the race, as the Danish giants Brondby are ready to splash a fee in the region of €3m for the Brann midfield ace.
Born in Oslo, the 26-year-old Norwegian international featured for the local club Vestre Aker before joining Ullern’s academy ranks. Soon, he was promoted to their senior side, and his emergence caught the eyes of Vålerenga, who initially roped him in for their reserves. Myhre’s mastery in the middle of the park earned him minutes in the Eliteserien. Despite an underwhelming loan stint at Bodø/Glimt, he continued to flourish in Oslo with Bohemene.
His Rise in Norway
However, the versatile midfielder made the next career move by joining Brann in 2021 upon the expiry of his Vålerenga contract. He has since enjoyed a stunning rise, with 27 goals and 36 assists in 157 first-team appearances donning Bergens stolthet colour [stats via Transfermarket].
Brann are ahead of Celtic in the Europa League group phase standings, and Myhre, having dominated their midfield game, could now ply his trade abroad for the first time in his career.
The Bhoys have tied down two loan signings this month: Julián Araujo and Tomas Cvancara, who featured against Hearts on Sunday afternoon in the top-of-the-table clash. In the wake of Alistair Johnston’s injury absence, Araujo is now the preferred right fullback over Colby Donovan and Anthony Ralston. Also, Martin O’Neill handed Cvancara an immediate start, a couple of days after the centre-forward’s arrival from Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Why Celtic Need Another Holding Midfielder
Meanwhile, Celtic are still in the market for further reinforcements, particularly in midfield, with several names linked throughout the January window, including Niko Sigur, Josh Mulligan and Xaver Schlager. Myhre is their latest target, according to reports in Norway, and his all-round attributes could solve a major problem if a transfer to Parkhead takes place before the 2nd February’s deadline.
The Celts are highly reliant on skipper Callum McGregor, who drives the show from the base as a deep-lying playmaker. Arne Engels has partnered with him in O’Neill’s ‘double pivot’ set-up, but the growing interest from Europe could see them lose the Belgian sooner or later.
McGregor will be 33 in the summer, and Paulo Bernardo, his understudy for the ‘number 6’ role, has failed to impress enough as a first-team regular. Reo Hatate, Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan are better suited as advanced playmakers, leaving Celtic with depth issues in the holding midfield positions.
Myhre, known for his immense work rate, technical ability, focus and game-reading skills, should be able to resolve their midfield conundrum. While he needs to work on the physical aspect of his game, the experience gained in European football should help him attune to the aggression of the Scottish game.
