Headline: Celtic in Advanced Talks to Loan Michel-Ange Balikwisha to K.A.A. Gent
Celtic Football Club is reportedly close to finalizing a loan deal for winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha, sending him to Belgian Pro League side K.A.A. Gent. This information comes from Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph. The arrangement will include an option for Gent to secure Balikwisha’s services permanently for approximately £3.5 million. The 25-year-old has been given permission by Celtic to travel to Belgium to undergo a medical examination.
Balikwisha joined Celtic from Royal Antwerp for £5.5 million but has since been considered surplus to the team’s requirements. His representatives have been exploring potential destinations for him over the past several weeks.
In his time with Celtic, Balikwisha has faced considerable challenges. He arrived from Antwerp with high hopes but ended the 2025/26 season without a single goal or assist in 14 appearances. So far this season, he has yet to feature in any matches.
His performance metrics tell a stark tale. Within the Scottish Premiership, he did not manage to record a shot on target, and his dribbling success rate was a low 44%, contributing only two key passes over the course of the entire season.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has positioned the team away from players who lack the necessary structural discipline. As a flair-oriented attacker, Balikwisha’s style did not align with the system’s requirements for defensive awareness and pressing intensity.
From Celtic’s perspective, this decision to loan out Balikwisha represents a strategic move to mitigate losses. While recouping £3.5 million on an original £5.5 million investment constitutes a financial setback, it is a planned and controlled loss. His market value has significantly decreased following limited appearances and exclusion from the current squad. The willingness of Gent—who recently qualified for the UEFA Conference League—to cover his full wages on loan, along with a clearly defined buy option, marks a positive outcome for Celtic’s recruitment strategy.
This deal will relieve some of Celtic’s wage burden, create space within the squad, and prevent potential issues arising from keeping a disengaged player who has no immediate path back into the team. By acknowledging the misstep in scouting, Celtic is making a pragmatic choice to move forward.
Celtic are in advanced talks to send winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha to Belgian Pro League club K.A.A. Gent on loan, according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph. The structure of the deal includes an option for Gent to sign him permanently for around £3.5 million. Balikwisha, 25, has received permission from Celtic to fly to Belgium and complete a medical.
The DR Congo international was brought in from Royal Antwerp for £5.5 million, but the Scottish champions have now deemed him surplus to requirements. His representatives had been searching for a suitable destination for several weeks.
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What went wrong at Celtic
Balikwisha’s time at Celtic has been nothing short of a disaster. The Congolese winger arrived from Antwerp last summer with genuine expectations, only to post 0 goals and 0 assists across 14 appearances throughout the 2025/26 season. He hasn’t touched the pitch once in the current 2026/27 campaign.
Those numbers tell a brutal story. In the Scottish Premiership, he failed to register a single shot on target, his dribble success rate sat at a miserable 44%, and he contributed just 2 key passes all season. A ghost, in every statistical sense.
The tactical direction under the Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has moved firmly against wide players who lack structural discipline. Balikwisha’s profile, an individualistic, flair-driven attacker, simply didn’t fit the system’s demand for pressing intensity and defensive positional awareness.
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Celtic’s smart exit from a costly mistake
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – OCTOBER 23: Michel-Ange Balikwisha of Celtic is seen during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Celtic FC and SK Sturm Graz at Celtic Park on October 23, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Letting him go now is the correct call from Celtic’s perspective. Yes, recouping £3.5 million on a £5.5 million investment is a loss, but it’s a controlled one. His market value has dropped sharply after 14 fringe appearances and complete omission from this season’s squad. The fact that Gent, who just qualified for the UEFA Conference League and carry financial confidence, are willing to cover his full wages on loan while inserting a concrete buy option is a genuine win for Celtic’s recruitment operation.
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It clears wages, frees a squad slot, and stops the rot before it festers. Holding onto a disengaged player with no pathway back into the team is how dressing room problems start. Celtic are cutting him loose, acknowledging the scouting error, and moving on.
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