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Celtic should accept late Benjamin Nygren bid as latest details emerge
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- Celtic should accept late Benjamin Nygren bid as latest details emerge
Celtic may well be minded to accept a late bid for Benjamin Nygren in the final days of the transfer window if it is to the appropriate level.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season but was awful as the Hoops crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers on Tuesday after losing 5-1 to LASK.
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The Scottish champions had been 3-0 ahead on aggregate going into this game and took a 4-0 lead when Callum McGregor scored midway through the first half.
Yet an extraordinary collapse would follow, with the Austrian side scoring five unanswered goals to send Celtic to the Europa League.
Nygren's mistake led to the first of those goals, and he was unable to do anything to avert the incoming onslaught.
Celtic have already lost key players this summer, but the financial stress caused by the failure to secure Champions League football may require a further sale.
Benjamin Nygren's woeful stats vs LASK
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With the benefit of having seen the rest of the game unfold, Nygren's error was an unforgivable one.
The Swede was under slight pressure, but that is no excuse for the careless way he knocked the ball back, missing McGregor completely and giving Viljami Sinsalo no chance.
Moses Usor anticipated the mistake and did not even need to take a touch before slotting into the Celtic goal.
Nygren's mistake came in the 32nd minute and when the visitors had been cruising. While it is impossible know whether LASK would have made their comeback regardless, the error undoubtedly gave them a route back into the game.
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But that was not all. In his 63 minutes on the pitch, the 25-year-old failed to create a single chance or take a shot, giving the ball away several times and making four fouls.
The Swede registered some defensive contributions but won just two of his seven duels, and ultimately went missing when it mattered most.
Benjamin Nygren sends message as forgotten Celtic loanee completes transfer Could a Premier League side come in for Nygren?
Despite Tuesday's clanger, there is undoubtedly significant Premier League interest in Nygren.
The Swede scored 21 goals and provided nine assists across all competitions last season, and he has started this campaign with a remarkable four goals and four assists in just five games.
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Celtic ultimately accepted under £25million from West Ham for Arne Engels , and there is a feeling that a similar fee would be enough to sign Nygren, too.
It remains to be seen whether that offer does indeed arrive, but Tuesday night's game has given decision-makers something to think about.
