The Brendan Rodgers era is up and running at Celtic but the first new face to his playing squad was teed up before the Irishman's box office return on Monday.
The Premiership champions have knack for mining untapped gems and the Valerenga playmaker Odin Thiago Holm fits that profile. A player who has been on the radar of big names now gets his chance to prove his worth in Scotland as a £2.6million move to Celtic is on the verge of completion. The 20-year-old will undertake a medical in London before the finishing touches of his deal are rubber-stamped. Rodgers, like former boss Ange Postecoglou, asks a lot of his men in the middle and prefers to operate with three in the engine room. So there's a real chance for the new man to blossom.
But what kind of player is Holm and what will be bring to Celtic? Record Sport has got the inside scoop from Norway as Dagsavisen's Jørn Henriksen Skjærpe helps what makes the man heading to Glasgow tick.
Daring to be different
And that starts by adding the middle name Thiago by deed poll in honour of the Liverpool playmaker. The player who has turned heads in his homeland has been willing to break from convention. Skjaerpe explains: "Odin has been considered a super talent in Norway for years now, even though he is still only 20 years old. He surprisingly chose Valerenga over Rosenborg (he's from the Trondheim area, where Rosenborg is based) back in 2019, and got his debut in the Norwegian Eliteserien for Valerenga at the age of 16 back in 2019."
Interest high but loyalty remained
Holm has been watched by some of the world's biggest teams but chose to double down on his development at Valerenga as leading lights pitch tantalising offers. Juventus were keen to take him on trial with his current side's blessing but he wanted to focus Valerenga rather than head to Turin for a trial during his teenage years.
Golden blessed
His talent has been spotted beyond his homeland. Holm was named on the Guardian's 60 finest young talents in world football and he also pitches up on the Golden Boy long list this year. The Norway youth star is highly regarded and will be hoping Champions League exposure in Glasgow will only enhance is burgeoning reputation.
Atlantic Odin
Skjaerpe explains how a tournament last summer added further weight to the belief he is truly a player of merit. He explained: "When Valerenga played in the pre-season tournament Atlantic Cup in Algarve in 2022, you could really see Holm's potential.
"He dominated in every game he played there, against better opposition like Danish sides Brondby and Midtjylland. So did Osame Sahraoui, who has since been sold to Dutch side SC Heerenveen, but Holm was even better than Sahraoui in that tournament."
Where he operates best
Let's make it clear, he's not a pure No.10 like a Tom Rogic but imagine a six who can play as an eight and vice versa. Tigerish in the engine room with plenty of skill when in possession. He'll fit right in for a side who are blessed with talents such as skipper Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Matt O'Riley. He also has experience from the right side but, perhaps, that role would be a midfield four rather than the likely 4-3-3 which suits current personnel and has been a favourite of Rodgers during his career.
The bumps along the way
Skjaerpe is an admirer of the player he was watched in close quarters, however, he admits challenges have been common in recent months for both player and team. He said: "Holm has struggled with knee injuries, so he had a stop-start 2022 season. In January 2023, Danish side FC Copenhagen wanted him and put in a bid, but Valerenga said no. Holm was disappointed, partly because he wants to play on natural grass rather than an artificial surface - natural grass obviously being kinder to his knee.
"So far in 2023, his form has been up and down. The team has underperformed, and the Valerenga board sacked coach Dag-Eilev Fagermo just a few days ago due to the bad performances this season."
