Celtic may sign their new Van Dijk in a talent who once silenced Gyokeres.

Celtic has a track record of acquiring players and profitably selling them, as seen with Nicolas Kuhn.

The German forward is set to join Serie A club Como for £16.5 million this summer, after signing for Rapid Vienna for £3 million 18 months earlier.

He is poised to join the list above, between Odsonne Edouard and Moussa Dembele, and will be ahead of some notable names, including Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.

After making 115 appearances with the Hoops, the Netherlands captain moved to Southampton for £13 million in the summer of 2015.

Celtic’s interest in the Dutch defender

The Scottish Premiership champions could replicate their success with Virgil van Dijk by signing another promising Dutch central defender this summer.

Celtic are apparently interested in signing Famalicao centre-back Justin De Haas for £3 million to improve their defensive options. A Dutch specialist has provided insight into the potential signing.

An unknown Voetbalzone reporter recently informed 67HailHail, “He had a good season at Famalicao in Portugal and was named to the Team of the Week seven times.” He’s tall (6’4″), strong in the air, and a terrific tackler. He’s strong on the ball and understands the game quite well.”

They said, “He has gone a little under the radar in Holland, and I don’t anticipate Ronald Koeman to include him in his squad very soon. However, a move to Celtic, which is a massive club, may change everything.”

Why De Haas Could Be Celtic’s Next Van Dijk

At a fee of just £3 million, Celtic would have plenty of room to benefit from the centre-back in the next year if they can close a deal for him this summer.

De Haas is 25 and approaching the prime years of his career, which means the Hoops may sign him at an ideal time, right before his worth possibly soars, especially if he receives a senior international call-up.

In terms of the qualities that he might bring in the left center-back role, where van Dijk also played for the Hoops,

His achievements in Portugal suggest he might be a valuable addition to Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

De Haas faced Sporting sensation Viktor Gyokeres, who has 97 goals in 102 games, and kept him quiet in April of last year.

As shown in the table above, the 25-year-old defense quiet the highly-rated striker, who did not score, take a shot on goal, generate a ‘great chance’, or assist a goal.

This demonstrates that the 6 foot 4 titan can step up to lock down great strikers when he is at his peak, indicating the level to which he can progress.

In the 2024/25 Liga Portugal season, De Haas averaged 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game, surpassing any Celtic center-back in the Scottish Premiership. This demonstrates his ability to consistently stop attacks.

If Celtic can give him a platform to demonstrate his abilities in the Champions League and Premier League, De Haas has the potential to become another highly regarded player who will follow in his countryman’s footsteps at Parkhead.