Gustaf Lagerbielke almost signed for a "half-assed team in Belgium" before joining Celtic.
That is according to Elfsborg managing director Stefan Andreasson who claims the 23-year-old might have missed out on a move to Parkhead.
Lagerbielke joined the Scottish champions for £3million during the summer transfer window and thrown into the starting XI due to an injury crisis centre-back in August.
However, he has recently struggled to maintain a regular starting position in the team since the return of Cameron Carter-Vickers.
And Andreasson opened up on Lagerbielke's mindset last season in Sweden. Speaking to Discovery+ he said: "Gustaf had said that I can say this. We actually sat in May, when he wanted to go to a half-assed team in Belgium, and that was his dream. There are always these discussions, and he must have had people around him.
"'Gustaf, you have a little more in you, keep going, and something better will come'. Then came Celtic - fantastic."
Meanwhile, several Premier League clubs are reportedly "interested" in Celtic star Matt O'Riley, including Crystal Palace.
This is according to the Scottish Sun who claim teams in England and beyond are monitoring the midfielder and that bids north of £10million would "give the Scottish champions something to think about.
O’Riley has scored six times and provided five assists in 12 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, adding two more assists in the Champions League.
He recently signed a new deal with the Parkhead side which keeps him under contract until 2027.
