{"id":333103,"date":"2025-08-10T12:26:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T12:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/333103\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T12:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T12:26:28","slug":"michel-ange-balikwishas-champions-league-waiting-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/333103\/","title":{"rendered":"Michel-Ange Balikwisha\u2019s Champions League waiting game"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pursuit of Michel-Ange Balikwisha has possibly generated more column inches than any other Celtic transfer story this summer \u2014 and even stretching back into last season. <\/p>\n

\"Michel-AngeMichel-Ange Balikwisha of Royal Antwerp takes a shot whilst under pressure from Jules Kounde of Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League match between FC Barcelona and Royal Antwerp at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on September 19, 2023 in Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Royal Antwerp attacker has given plenty of signs that he\u2019s interested in the move, from his social media activity to his agent\u2019s comments all but confirming his client\u2019s desire to join Celtic. <\/p>\n

That same agent, however, also confirmed there have been no negotiations between the clubs. Adding to the intrigue, Antwerp sporting director Marc Overmars openly stated his club were seeking early sales in this window, with their own recruitment dependent on moving players out quickly. <\/p>\n

On paper, the conditions for a swift transfer looked almost ideal. Yet months later, no deal is done. <\/p>\n

An interesting twist has now emerged from Irish journalist and author Phil Mac Giolla Bh\u00e1in<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In his latest article, he suggests Balikwisha may be waiting to see whether Celtic qualify for the Champions League before committing to a move away from Belgium. If true, it\u2019s an insight that could explain why a seemingly straightforward deal has dragged on and underlines the importance of Champions League football when trying to attract top targets.<\/p>\n

\"Michel-AngeMichel-Ange Balikwisha of Royal Antwerp is tackled by Jules Kounde of Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between FC Barcelona and Royal Antwerp at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on September 19, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Phil\u2019s piece also takes aim at the wider pattern of Celtic\u2019s transfer business. He criticises what he calls a \u201cDissociation Lowball\u201d strategy. Identifying players, then making uncompetitive bids that stall negotiations and risk losing out entirely. <\/p>\n

He argues that despite healthy finances, the board\u2019s risk-averse approach repeatedly delays key signings, leaving the manager without the reinforcements he needs when it matters most and puts that strategy firmly at the door of Dermot Desmond. <\/p>\n

For Brendan Rodgers, the implications are pretty clear. Without swift action, Celtic\u2019s squad may not be strong enough to ensure Champions League qualification, yet without that qualification, deals like Balikwisha\u2019s could remain out of reach. It\u2019s a Catch-22 that many supporters will recognise from previous windows. <\/p>\n

\"Michel-AngeMichel-Ange Balikwisha and Arbnor Muja of Royal Antwerp look on prior to the UEFA Champions League match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp at Volksparkstadion on November 28, 2023 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

If Phil is correct, Balikwisha\u2019s hesitation isn\u2019t personal reluctance instead it\u2019s professional calculation. The lure of Europe\u2019s top competition can certainly influence career choices. For Celtic, that means proving they\u2019ll be on that stage is not just a matter of prestige or finance, but a decisive factor in getting priority targets through the door. <\/p>\n

The Balikwisha conundrum will no doubt split opinion among the support. Even before this latest information emerged, there was already debate over his suitability as a Celtic player based on talent alone. <\/p>\n

Now, that discussion expands to include a more personal question, does he truly want to join Celtic, or is it understandable that he only wants to join a Celtic side competing in the Champions League? <\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have to look far in Scottish football to find examples of players who raise their game when the eyes of Europe are upon them, but struggle to show the same desire away to Motherwell or at home to Dundee.<\/p>\n

That said, Celtic have generally fared better than some when it comes to recruiting players with the right character. You\u2019d hope the same level of due diligence has been applied to Balikwisha. <\/p>\n

Still, for some supporters, alarm bells will be ringing. And in the minds of those fans today, one word may be echoing louder than most \u2013 commitment. <\/p>\n

Niall J <\/p>\n

morestories category=8]<\/p>\n

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And there\u2019s another great benefit for readers who pre-order their copy of Celtic in the Eighties. You will also receive a copy of an earlier David Potter book \u2013 Celtic\u2019 Icicle \u2013 Alec McNair \u2013 which you\u2019ll receive for FREE<\/strong> when you pre-order with Celtic in the Eighties. So you get two great Celtic books by David Potter and better still the postage is only charged on one. Click on the image below to order. (Just order Celtic in the Eighties and we\u2019ll automatically add a copy of the Alec McNair book).<\/p>\n

\"Celtic<\/a>Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books on 5 September 2025. Click on image to pre-order.\"Join<\/a>Help raise funds for Celtic Youth Academy by playing the Celtic Pools Weekly Lottery and you could win up to \u00a325,000. The lottery is \u00a31 per week. Click on image to join.\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The pursuit of Michel-Ange Balikwisha has possibly generated more column inches than any other Celtic transfer story this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":333104,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4100],"tags":[94,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-333103","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115004465953811536","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=333103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=333103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=333103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=333103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}