Celtic Close to Signing PSV Eindhoven’s Joël van den Berg for £3.4 Million
Celtic is on the verge of securing a permanent transfer for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joël van den Berg in a deal valued at £3.4 million, as reported by VoetbalPrimeur and shared by Everything Celtic. The 19-year-old Dutch youth international is reportedly keen to expedite the move.
Celtic Pursues 19-Year-Old PSV Captain
A delegation from Celtic is currently in the Netherlands to finalize terms as the transfer window approaches its deadline. A significant development occurred this weekend when Van den Berg was notably missing from the Jong PSV squad for their Eerste Divisie match against RKC Waalwijk on August 29.
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Van den Berg serves as the captain for the Netherlands U19 team and scored seven goals in 28 appearances for Jong PSV last season. He also played 138 minutes in five matches for Peter Bosz’s first team in the Eredivisie. Standing at 1.87 meters tall, he has received youth training at both Ajax and PSV.
Assessing the Move for Celtic
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 29: Callum Osmand of Celtic is seen at full time during the William Hill Premiership 2026/27 match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on August 29, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
By investing £3.4 million, Celtic will acquire a physically robust midfielder with a knack for contributing goals and valuable leadership experience. However, his limited 138 minutes in the Eredivisie and five yellow cards in reserve games raise some caution flags. Nevertheless, his potential is considerable.
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Signing Van den Berg will fill a specific need for Celtic. Following their exit from the Champions League, the head coach has emphasized the importance of adding physicality and improving ball retention throughout the team. With seven goals from central midfield in the second tier of Dutch football, Van den Berg is not just a defensive player. He possesses the intelligence and spatial awareness needed to arrive late in the box, a quality that Celtic has lacked for a significant time.
His physical attributes allow him to handle contact effectively, while his technical skills, honed at both Ajax and PSV, enable him to maintain possession under pressure.
The main concern involves his lack of sustained experience at a high competitive level. Transitioning from the Eerste Divisie to the Scottish Premiership at such a young age represents a considerable challenge. Joël van den Berg’s competitive nature will serve him well at Celtic, though attention to his disciplinary record will be necessary.
At £3.4 million, Celtic appears to be making a smart investment this transfer window. That price tag is unlikely to stay modest for long.
Celtic are edging towards completing the permanent signing of PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joël van den Berg in a deal worth £3.4 million, according to VoetbalPrimeur as relayed by Everything Celtic. The 19-year-old Dutch youth international is reportedly eager to push the move through.
The 19-year-old PSV captain who Celtic want before the window shuts
A Celtic delegation is currently on the ground in the Netherlands working to finalise terms ahead of the closing window. A telling sign of how far things have progressed came this weekend, with Van den Berg conspicuously absent from Jong PSV’s squad for their Eerste Divisie clash with RKC Waalwijk on August 29.
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Van den Berg captains the Netherlands U19 side and accumulated seven goals in 28 reserve appearances for Jong PSV last season, while also clocking 138 minutes across five senior Eredivisie outings for Peter Bosz’s first team. He is 1.87 metres tall and has prior youth development grounding at both Ajax and PSV.
Good deal for Celtic?
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 29: Callum Osmand of Celtic is seen at full time during the William Hill Premiership 2026/27 match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on August 29, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
At £3.4m, Celtic are acquiring a physically dominant, goal-contributing midfielder with genuine leadership pedigree, though his 138 Eredivisie minutes and five yellows in limited reserve action are honest caution flags. The potential is substantial.
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Bringing Van den Berg to Celtic Park addresses a specific structural gap. Since the club’s Champions League exit, the head coach has stressed repeatedly the need for physical steel and ball retention through the spine of the side. A player who scores seven goals from central midfield in second-tier Dutch football is not a flat-role destroyer but a footballer with the intelligence and awarness of space to arrive late in the box, something Celtic’s system has lacked in that position for some time.
His frame handles contact well. His technical base, built across both the Ajax and PSV academies, means he can retain the ball under pressure without panicking.
The legitimate concern is the gap in sustained top-level minutes. Moving from the Eerste Divisie to the Scottish Premiership at 19 represents a sharp physical step up. Joël van den Berg’s combative traits will serve him well at Celtic, though the discipline record will need attention.
For £3.4m, Celtic are making one of the more intelligent pieces of business this window. That valuation will not look modest for long.
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