WHO IS JUSTIN DE HAAS? CELTIC'S LATEST DEFENSIVE TARGET
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
We’re well into the transfer silly season now, and it seems Celtic are, quite literally, being linked with new players every day.
However, this particular one has cleared my usual journalistic filters and, I think, warrants a closer look.
Celtic are apparently considering a £3 million move for Dutch central defender Justin De Haas.
Justin De Haas: Celtic Need Someone of His Physicality in Defense
Stephen McGowan is one of the few remaining Scottish football journalists with some degree of credibility. So, when he says Celtic are interested in a player, I would usually say it’s worth paying attention to.
Anyway, according to McGowan, Celtic are looking at De Haas, a 6”4 Dutch central defender, who currently plays for Portuguese Primeira Liga side Famalicao.
After spells with first AZ Alkmaar and later PSV Eindhoven as a youth, the 25-year-old made the move to Croatian football, playing for Dinamo Zagreb and later Lokomotiva Zagreb, before finding his current home in Portugal.
He has been a near ever-present for Famalicao for the past 2 seasons. De Haas also earned 4 Dutch international caps at under-17 level during his time as a PSV youth prospect.
De Haas has the solid, no-nonsense physicality that Celtic have, at times, been accused of lacking over the past couple of seasons. As a product of Dutch football, he is also very comfortable on the ball, and likes to bring the play forward from the back.
He’s certainly a player who fits Celtic’s profile and would come a whole lot cheaper than the likes of Manchester United’s Tyrell Malacia, another Dutch defender who was also linked with Celtic earlier this week.
With a fee of around £3 million and the right age profile, De Haas also fits that Celtic transfer model of getting players in, utilizing them for 2-3 years then flipping them for a big profit.
It is just speculation at the moment, but as I mentioned previously, the sources here are usually a bit more reliable than your typical tabloid fodder.
With Justin De Haas Celtic may finally have found a permanent defensive partner for Cameron Carter-Vickers. Both Auston Trusty and Liam Scales played alongside the big American last season, but both also have quite obvious areas of concern in their game.
De Haas might not be the marquee signing that some will expect as the big money sale of Nicholas Kuhn edges towards its inevitable conclusion.
However, it would probably be more in keeping with Celtic’s trading model to sign 3 or 4 players in this price range than 1 or 2 players in the 10 million plus range.
At least, until Champions League football is secured for next season.
