Celtic have missed out on midfield target Silas Andersen, who has agreed to a move to Sporting CP for a club-record fee. The Denmark U21 international will join the Portuguese side from BK Hacken for approximately €10 million, surpassing Hacken’s previous record sale of €7.25 million.
Celtic had been tracking Andersen since January, identifying him as a potential reinforcement for their midfield ahead of a potentially busy summer transfer window. Several key players, including top scorer Benjamin Nygren and captain Callum McGregor, have attracted interest from other clubs, while Arne Engels was the subject of a substantial bid from Nottingham Forest earlier this year. The need for midfield reinforcements was apparent.
Andersen has impressed during his 18 months with Hacken, prompting interest from multiple clubs across Britain, including sides in the English Premier League and Celtic’s rivals Rangers. However, according to reports in Portugal from Tipsbladet, Andersen has chosen to continue his development with Sporting CP, where he will sign a five-year contract. Negotiations between the two clubs were described as protracted, lasting over two weeks before a final agreement was reached.
In a separate development, Celtic have also lost young defender Dara Jikiemi, who has rejected a new contract at Parkhead. The 16-year-old is expected to move to the Premier League, with Liverpool currently the frontrunners for his signature. Newcastle and Nottingham Forest have also shown interest in Jikiemi, and Celtic will receive compensation for the academy graduate. This follows a similar departure of Ben Gannon-Doak to Bournemouth in 2022, who was later sold to Liverpool for €23.2m. The loss of Jikiemi represents another setback for Celtic’s youth development system.
Andersen’s move to Sporting CP provides the Portuguese club with a promising young midfielder, while Jikiemi’s potential transfer to Liverpool continues a trend of young Scottish talent moving to England’s top flight.
