Celtic are expecting Carl Starfelt to depart the club in the coming days. Brendan Rodgers confirmed following the 4-2 win over Ross County that the Swedish defender could leave The Scottish Champions next week.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Irishman confirmed that there were ‘reasons’ for Starfelt wanting to move and one of these may be his girlfriend’s departure to Lisbon.
“Carl could leave, hence the reason for not starting him, that’s maybe something that will go through next week, but we shall see.
“He’s obviously been a fantastic servant here, and he’s a great guy and really committed, but there’s reasons why he might want to move on.”
The 28-year-old has been excellent since arriving from Rubin Kazan in the summer of 2021, forming a formidable defensive pairing with Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Starfelt has made 87 appearances for Celtic since arriving from the Russian side. In that time, he has scored three times and assisted twice. Rodgers’ may have wanted to keep Starfelt around, even with the arrival of Polish central defender Nawrocki, but it looks as if the player is seeking a fresh challenge.
Celtic’s progression in Europe will require a strong rearguard and retaining top players is essential to ensuring that the club make significant progress.
Rodgers will want to replace Starfelt should he depart with a player of similar quality.
