Celtic are looking to do several more pieces of business for Martin O’Neill before the summer transfer window officially slams shut on Thursday.
A new central midfielder is on the agenda for the Scottish Premiership giants after Arne Engels completed a move to West Ham United for £22m earlier this month.
The Belgian’s exit has left a gap in the middle of the park, despite the arrival of Mika Baur from Paderborn, and the club are pursuing a deal to sign a teenage star as his replacement.
Celtic are in talks with PSV over a £3.4m deal to bring 19-year-old talent Joel van den Berg to Parkhead before the end of the window to bolster their midfield ranks.
Why Joel van den Berg is a risky signing for Celtic
The Dutchman has scored two goals in the first three matches of the season for PSV’s reserves, scoring against TOP Oss in his most recent appearances, but he has limited experience in first-team football.
He has only played six matches for PSV’s first-team, playing five times in the Eredivisie last season, and has started the current campaign with the reserves instead of the senior side.
That suggests that his performances for PSV’s senior team last season were not impressive enough to earn him a regular spot in their squad this term, which is a concern for Celtic.
|
26/27 Eerste Divisie |
Van den Berg |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
3 |
|
xG |
1.20 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
xA |
0.47 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Duel success rate |
40% |
|
Ground duel success rate |
36% |
Whilst he has scored two goals in three games, van den Berg’s performances at the start of this season in the second tier of Dutch football are a cause for concern, as he has lost 64% of his ground duels.
Celtic need midfielders who can cope with the intensity and physicality of Scottish football and the teenage talent’s displays this term do not suggest that he is ready for that in the here and now, which is why this could be a risky signing for the club.
How Celtic can seal a better signing than van den Berg
Whilst the PSV youngster could arrive at Paradise as a risky addition to O’Neill’s first-team squad, the board are looking at another player who would be an even better signing.
According to journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, Celtic are plotting a late move to sign Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Balazs Toth before the end of the summer transfer window.
The reporter claims that the Hoops made a final check on the shot-stopper in Blackburn’s 2-1 loss to Queens Park Rangers in the Championship on Saturday, weeks after they had already made contact with his representatives to discuss a potential move.
Nixon adds that the English side are looking for a fee in the region of £4m for the Hungarian stopper, but that a compromise could be reached for a deal that works for both parties.
The 28-year-old is an experienced goalkeeper who would arrive at Parkhead as an even better signing than van den Berg because he could be expected to make an immediate impact on the pitch.
Viljami Sinisalo has not had an ideal start to the 2026/27 campaign, conceding six goals in his last two appearances against LASK and Falkirk, and did not enjoy a strong end to last season.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Sinisalo |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
12 |
|
Save percentage |
61% |
|
Goals prevented |
-1.59 |
|
Saves per game |
1.9 |
|
Clean sheets |
1 |
|
Error led to shot |
1 |
|
Penalties committed |
0 |
The Finland international only kept one clean sheet in 12 appearances after taking over from Kasper Schmeichel as the number one, and conceded 1.59 more goals than expected based on the xG of the shots on his goal.
Toth, meanwhile, managed to keep eight clean sheets in 34 appearances for Blackburn in the Championship in the 2025/26 campaign, despite playing for a side that were fighting to avoid relegation.
The Hungary international, who has been capped seven times by his country, only conceded 0.81 more goals than expected over the course of the season, which shows that he was more or less on par with what he was expected to do as a shot-stopper.
Toth, therefore, could arrive at Parkhead as an upgrade on Sinisalo as a goalkeeper who is more effective at keeping out shots and more likely to keep clean sheets between the sticks.
Whilst van den Berg is a risky signing due to his inexperience and lack of physicality, the £4m-rated star would come in as an experienced player who has already proven himself as a goalkeeper in a physical league in England.
The Blackburn star would be a much better signing than the Dutch youngster because he could join to be O’Neill’s first-choice option ahead of Sinisalo between the sticks, whilst van den Berg may need time to adapt and prove himself before he becomes a regular.