Celtic player now “set to leave” after Arne Engels

Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s Celtic move was supposed to end a transfer chase which had dragged across more than one window.

Instead, less than a year after arriving in Glasgow, the winger could already be heading elsewhere.

Celtic had tracked Balikwisha for a long time before finally agreeing a deal worth up to £5 million with Royal Antwerp last August. He signed a long contract and arrived with a strong reputation from Belgium.

There was plenty to like about the move.

Balikwisha had helped Antwerp win a domestic double, played in the Champions League and shown that he could attack from either flank or move into central areas.

His close control and willingness to carry the ball appeared suited to a Celtic side expected to dominate possession.

Nicolas Kuhn had been sold to Como, while Jota was recovering from a serious knee injury. Celtic needed another attacker capable of receiving the ball in crowded areas and unsettling defenders.

However, Balikwisha walked into one of the most turbulent Celtic seasons in recent memory.

Brendan Rodgers left in October, Martin O’Neill returned on an interim basis and Wilfried Nancy’s short spell brought another sharp tactical change. O’Neill was then called back before eventually taking the job permanently.

That upheaval never gave Balikwisha the stable platform he needed.

Rodgers regarded him as a flexible wide attacker, but O’Neill publicly suggested he was better suited to playing as a number 10. The problem was that Celtic already had other players trusted in those positions.

O’Neill later admitted Balikwisha had not received a proper opportunity under him, explaining that he felt other members of the squad were better equipped for the demands of Scottish football at that stage.

The manager’s summer recruitment has made the situation even harder.

Haissem Hassan has arrived from Real Oviedo as a new right-winger, while Celtic have also added Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran and Mika Baur during a busy rebuild.

There is now little room for passengers as O’Neill prepares for another title defence and a Champions League play-off against LASK.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha ‘set to leave’ Celtic this summer

According to Sky Switzerland reporter Sacha Tavolieri, Balikwisha is ‘set to leave’ Celtic after becoming a casualty of the manager’s new tactical approach.

Tavolieri reports that newly promoted Serie A club Monza, Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg and Swiss side Basel have all watched the DR Congo international.

The race remains open, with no agreement said to be close at this stage, but Balikwisha is heading to the exit door.

Each destination would offer something different.

Monza and Elversberg could provide immediate football in major European leagues, while Basel would offer a familiar style of domestic pressure and the chance to compete for trophies.

Celtic must now decide whether to seek a permanent sale or protect their investment through a loan.

For Balikwisha, the priority is simpler. At 25, he needs a club prepared to settle on his best position and give him the run of games he never found in Glasgow.