Michel-Ange Balikwisha Celtic Exit Agreed

Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s Celtic exit appears to be moving rapidly towards completion, with the winger reportedly set to return to Belgium.

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic have reached an agreement with Gent over a loan deal which will include an option to buy.

That would bring a remarkable end, at least temporarily, to Balikwisha’s time at Celtic Park only a year after the club finally landed a player they had pursued for so long.

Celtic paid around £5million to sign the winger from Royal Antwerp last summer.

Yet the move simply has not worked.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha Celtic exit gathers pace

Balikwisha arrived with a strong reputation from Belgium after making 145 appearances for Antwerp and helping them win a historic domestic double.

However, establishing himself at Celtic proved considerably more difficult.

The 25-year-old has reportedly made just seven starts since arriving and has fallen well down Martin O’Neill’s current pecking order.

Indeed, he has not featured competitively since January despite being available on the bench during Celtic’s recent Champions League play-off matches against LASK.

Now Gent appear ready to offer him an escape route.

For Balikwisha, returning to a league where he previously demonstrated his quality could make perfect sense.

For Celtic, though, the situation raises another uncomfortable question.

Celtic squad gets thinner before deadline

Why was approximately £5million spent on a player Celtic tracked for such a long period, only for him to become surplus to requirements barely 12 months later?

Every transfer can fail. That is football.

However, Celtic are now approaching the transfer deadline needing additions while another senior player prepares to head through the exit door.

Martin O’Neill has already made clear that reinforcements are required.

Removing a player who is not going to feature is sensible enough. The real issue is what Celtic do next.

Balikwisha leaving cannot simply become another outgoing transaction while the clock continues to tick.

Gent may now give Celtic an opportunity to move on from a transfer that has gone badly wrong.

The board must make absolutely certain the squad does not become even weaker in the process.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Celtic have reportedly agreed a deal with Gent for Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
The proposed move is a loan with an option to buy.
Celtic paid around £5million for the winger last summer.
Balikwisha has struggled for regular first-team football.
His departure increases the pressure on Celtic to strengthen before the deadline.