Celtic have long since established themselves as a club where hungry young players come when they want to begin a journey to the very top of the European game.
A spell at Parkhead certainly didn’t do any harm to Victor Wanyama, Kieran Tierney or Virgil van Dijk, to name but three.
So when a 20-year-old midfielder who’s been wearing the captain’s armband since he was a teenager emerged on the radar of Celtic back in 2023, a move to the green side of Glasgow felt like the natural next step for one Ardon Jashari.
But what we said about Celtic can also be said about Club Brugge. Charles de Ketelaere, Wesley Moraes, Odilon Kossounou, Marvelous Nakamba and more all secured big-money moves to a club in one of Europe’s major leagues after honing their talents at the Belgian giants. Striker Igor Thiago, meanwhile, is joining Brentford for a club-record £30 million just one year after arriving for £23 million less.
Antonio Nusa, wanted by Tottenham in January, should be in the next cab off the rank.
Celtic linked Ardon Jashari seals six million euro move
So while Celtic felt like a fitting destination for FC Luzern skipper Jashari, there are plenty of reasons to feel that his £5 million move to Club Brugge will also prove to be a stable stepping stone in the Swiss international’s path to the elite.
Jashari officially became a Brugge player on Thursday.
“Ardon is a technically very good left-footed player and is also quite explosive in the first metres,” explains Daniel Wrysch, a Swiss reporter speaking to Voetbal Nieuws about Belgian football’s latest newcomer.
“Although he mainly plays in defensive midfield, he is a player who also contributes offensively. He regularly finds his way to the net and also has the necessary creativity in his passes.
“In addition to his technical qualities, I am also impressed by his personality. He leads the way, both on and off the field. Jashari always remains positive, even in difficult moments. He has an extremely strong will.”
Jashari was linked with a number of more high-profile, deep-pocketed clubs. In addition to Arsenal, West Ham United were mentioned as a potential destination for a man who featured at the 2022 Qatar World Cup and has been likened to ex-Gunners captain Granit Xhaka.
Wrysch, however, feels that Club Brugge is the right move at the right time. The Premier League, the Bundesliga or Serie A, he says, can wait for the time being.
Swiss star secures Belgium move
“I was a bit surprised that Jashari moved to Club Brugge,” the reporter adds. He and his agent had been looking for a suitable club abroad for over a year.
“The names of major European clubs such as Benfica and FC Porto but also West Ham, Atalanta, Bologna, Freiburg and Stuttgart had been circulating for a long time. With the exception of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, almost all Bundesliga clubs appeared in that rumour mill.
“But Club Brugge is also a very interesting team. It could be the ideal could be an intermediate step towards a top league.”
Celtic, HITC understands, are prioritising a replacement for Joe Hart in goal this summer. A new left-back and a striker is also likely to be high on Brendan Rodgers’ wishlist.
There may be place for a midfield addition too, however, with Paulo Bernardo only on loan, Reo Hatate enduring an injury hit season and Odin Thiago Holm yet to really prove his worth.
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