CELTIC CONFIDENTIAL: The £5m winger on Brendan Rodgers’ radar ahead of January… and the next academy star who has the club staving off suitors in England and beyond

By all accounts, Michel-Ange Balikwisha knows a thing or two about timing his runs to perfection.

With the transfer window set to open in a couple of weeks, the Antwerp player may also have timed his comeback from injury to perfection amid ongoing interest from Celtic.

The 23-year-old, whose preferred position is on the left wing, was high on Brendan Rodgers’ wish list last summer until a serious muscle injury sidelined him for several months.

‘Two clubs (Celtic and Rennes) kept negotiating to possibly still bring him in,’ Antwerp CEO Sven Jaecques recently confirmed.

‘But, in the meantime, we know that such clubs will rather focus on January anyway. 

‘He must now return as soon and as fit as possible and then we will see what happens.’

Antwerp’s impressive Michel-Ange Balikwisha, above left, would tick a lot of boxes for Celtic

Balikwisha has just returned from injury and is primed for a £5m move over next few weeks

That return happened last week against Charleroi. The former Belgian Under-21 international showed no ill-effects and he appears to be back in the shop window.

With a price tag of £5million on his back and his contract expiring in 2026, Antwerp will be keen to do business again. Balikwisha ticks every box from Celtic’s perspective.

Frozen-out defender opens talks about his long-term prospects 

Celtic defender Stephen Welsh is set to go out in search of first-team football in the January window.

The former Scotland Under-21 international has started just one game – a 5-2 win over Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup.

While Welsh was a target for clubs in Italy, France and England in past windows, Celtic were keen to keep the 24-year-old to bolster their quota of homegrown players for their European squad.

Keen to see more first-team action, Welsh plans talks with manager Brendan Rodgers over his long-term prospects.

Stephen Welsh has dropped out of Rodgers’ plans and looks set to move elsewhere

Luis Palma also seems to be heading for exit door after failing to establish himself

Forgotten man Maik Nawrocki is considering his options at the Parkhead club, too

And, despite being under contract until 2027, he hopes to obtain the green light to go and play after slipping behind Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales and Maik Nawrocki in the pecking order.

Welsh is unlikely to be the only Parkhead player heading out the door in the New Year, with Luis Palma and Nawrocki also considering their options.

Suitors are hot on the trail of Parkhead academy prospect  

Celtic are running out of time if they are to prevent on-fire teenage striker Daniel Cummings from becoming the latest academy product to leave the club before making an impact at first-team level.

The 18-year-old striker has enjoyed a prolific season with the club’s B team, raising his profile with six goals in six UEFA Youth League outings, the last of which came against Dinamo Zagreb last week.

It’s understood that Sunderland, Wolves, Fulham, Ipswich and Burnley are interested in taking the Glasgow-born striker across the border.

But Cummings may have options further afield with Bologna, Brugge and Salzburg hot on his trail.

Hot property Daniel Cummings is being tracked by top clubs in England and beyond

With his contract due to expire next summer, the striker could talk to interested parties at the turn of the year.

In recent times, Celtic have seen Aidan Borland move to Aston Villa, Daniel Kelly sign for Millwall and Ben Doak agree terms with Liverpool.

Unless a deal can be struck with Cummings in the near future, he’ll become the latest player to move on for a compensation fee before supporters can even familiarise themselves with his face.

Celtic goal centurions are showing no signs of stopping 

Only 30 players have scored 100 goals or more for Celtic. Can you name which two are still playing and where?

There are no prizes for guessing the most obvious one – James Forrest recently signed a contract extension and, at Hampden last Sunday, he joined Bobby Lennox as the club’s most decorated player with 25 honours.

The winger has scored 108 goals across the past 15 seasons and needs just two more to equal John Hartson’s haul of 110. It would be a brave man who bets against that happening.

The other player in that illustrious list who’s still strapping on the boots is Leigh Griffiths.

Forrest is looking for two more goals to match John Hartson’s haul of 110

Hartson was a prolific scorer for Celtic but veteran Forrest is catching him up

Forrest would still have some way go to level with ex-team-mate Griffiths on 123 goals

Griffiths, shown during his Celtic days, is now playing in Australia

The forward will not add to the 123 goals he claimed across eight years in Glasgow – a tally that left him joint 18th on that list.

But at the age of 34 he’s gearing up for another season with semi-professional side Mandurah City in Western Australia after coming through his latest operation.

Griffiths certainly didn’t do himself any favours at Celtic with his questionable professionalism off the park.

But, almost three years after leaving the club, the torrent of goals he scored should be recognised much more than it is.

Celtic stars hit the bullseye with cheeky Ally Pally taunt  

Never mind ‘180’, the cries were more likely to be ‘119’ at the Ally Pally this week. 

A number of Parkhead stars attended the world darts championships in London to celebrate the team’s Premier Sports Cup final victory over Rangers.

And it wasn’t long before defender Cameron Carter-Vickers held aloft a sign proclaiming the club’s 119th trophy win.

Celtic players pose with the 119 sign at Alexandra Palace. Picture: Taylor Lanning

The jubilant Celtic team celebrate their Premier Sports Cup final victory at Hampden

Celtic and their Ibrox rivals had previously been level on 118 trophy wins apiece in their history, with the Scottish champions now eclipsing Rangers in the silverware haul after Sunday’s epic triumph at Hampden. 

The number 119 may not have resonated with everyone inside a raucous Alexandra Palace but it certainly hit the bullseye with all those Celtic supporters watching at home.

Not since 1938 have the Parkhead club been ahead of their arch rivals in the major trophy stakes.