Scottish champions Celtic go into the 2023–24 season with the aim of competing with Europe’s best. They dominated the league under Ange Postecoglou and will now look to impress under Brendan Rodgers. Celtic were busy recruiting in the summer and decided to strengthen their defence. They brought in some new faces, and the manager has plenty of options to choose from. One of the defensive signings of the summer was Gustaf Lagerbielke from IF Elfsborg.
The 23-year-old Swedish centre-back joined Chelsea in mid-August and has gotten some game time in the initial matches. Injuries to Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki, and Stephen Welsh have given Gustaf a chance to showcase his talent and impress Rodgers. But did Celtic take the right step while recruiting this centre-half? Let’s take a look at what impressed the Scottish Champions enough to make a bid for the player.
Gustaf Lagerbielke comes in with a reputation for winning duels for his team. His duel win rate in the last couple of seasons in Sweden was over 60%. In the 2023 Allsvenskan season, the 23-year-old won 75.8% of defensive duels, 63.7% of aerial duels, and 64.6% of loose ball duels. Along with this, he made 4.24 interceptions per 90 minutes, with a few coming in the penalty box.
The Swede can also put his body on the line. He made 25 blocks combined in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Most of these blocks were made on the edge or outside the penalty box.
Great start at Celtic
Gustaf Lagerbielke has started in two league games and came off the bench in his side’s 3-0 win over Dundee. He has yet to concede a goal in the league. The Swedish centre-back has played as the right centre-back and won 64.6% of his duels. He has won 80% of his defensive duels, 53% of his aerial duels, and 63.2% of his loose ball duels. Along with this, he has made 11 interceptions. Another trait that the player possesses is his ability to recover the ball. A total of 44 recoveries have been made by Lagerbielke, with eight coming in the attacking half.
Another ability that the player has shown in these three matches is his vision and ability to play the ball. The 23-year-old defender has played 40 passes to the final third, and 30 have found a teammate. Lagerbielke is capable of finding a teammate with long diagonal balls. These passes often create a lot of trouble for the opposition. A sudden shift on the flank often leads to a goal.
Gustaf Lagernielke has made a decent start at Celtic and has yet to concede a goal. He will look to fill in the gaps left by injuries to some of the other players and hopes to get good game time in his first season in Scotland.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
