Celtic £5m Gamble Already Heading for Exit as Balikwisha Door Opens

Michel-Ange Balikwisha could be heading for the Celtic exit door just one year after the club finally landed their long-term target.

The winger cost around £5 million when Celtic secured him from Royal Antwerp last summer.

Now, remarkably, his time in Glasgow could already be approaching its conclusion.

Belgian transfer reporter Sacha Tavolieri reports that Balikwisha is “set to leave” Celtic, with three European clubs showing interest.

Balikwisha Celtic exit gathers momentum

Italian side Monza, Swiss giants Basel and Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg are all reportedly monitoring the 25-year-old.

The Scottish Sun also reports that Balikwisha is “set to leave” after struggling to establish himself at Celtic.

Meanwhile, reporting around Tavolieri’s information describes the winger as a “casualty of Martin O’Neill’s tactical approach”.

That would represent a remarkable turnaround.

Celtic pursued Balikwisha for a considerable period before eventually completing the £5 million transfer.

Yet his first season never really caught fire.

Balikwisha made only 14 appearances, with most coming from the bench. He has also failed to make Celtic’s matchday squads so far this season.

Those numbers tell their own story.

Balikwisha faces huge Celtic competition

His route into O’Neill’s team now looks even more difficult.

Celtic have strengthened their attacking options significantly this summer. That has increased competition across an already crowded forward line.

The timing of this latest report is therefore particularly interesting.

However, nothing has been completed yet.

Balikwisha has been included in Celtic’s 25-man squad for the Champions League play-off against LASK.

Therefore, Celtic clearly remain prepared to use him while his future is unresolved.

Three clubs showing interest could now provide an opportunity for all parties to find a solution.

There is also a bigger question for Celtic.

After pursuing Balikwisha for so long and eventually spending around £5 million, moving him on after one season would hardly represent a recruitment success.

Sometimes transfers simply do not work.

However, Celtic must now ensure they protect their investment if an acceptable offer arrives.

Balikwisha still has plenty of football ahead of him. A move elsewhere could also provide the regular game time that has been difficult to find in Glasgow.

If Tavolieri’s information proves correct, this Celtic transfer story could now move quickly.

For Celtic, recovering as much of that £5 million investment as possible must surely be the priority.