Celtic may have had their hopes of landing Fabian Rieder this summer boosted significantly, with Blick, via the Daily Record reporting that the player's agent has quashed a move to one rival suitor.
Who is Fabian Rieder?
The 21-year-old currently plays his football for Young Boys in Switzerland, having come through the youth ranks there and worked his way up. He was handed his first taste of Swiss Super League action back in 2020 as an 18-year-old and went on to feature on 23 occasions for the club.
It also led to his first silverware too, with his team storming to the top of the table. His gametime has only escalated from there, with Rieder since managing a further 63 games and yet another league crown to go with it last season. With his confidence flowing, he also managed his best ever goal contribution haul in 2022/23, with seven goals and four assists from the centre of the field in the league.
The youngster predominantly features an attacking midfielder, but can slot in further back if needed. He's also been utilised on the right flank before too, showing that the Swiss star is flexible and can prove to be a useful option in a number of areas.
His showings for Young Boys have also caught the eye of his national team, with the 21-year-old finally given his first-team debut for Switzerland in 2022. He has since made four appearances at international level – and there will likely be more where that came from if he can keep up his form.
Are Celtic signing Fabian Rieder?
Having been so impressive, there are now plenty of teams from across Europe on his tail. Scottish Premiership side Celtic are one of the main teams who are believed to be considering a swoop for the midfielder, although no official bid has yet been tabled for the talent
A move to Germany could also be possible for Rieder according to different sources, with Wolfsburg chasing a deal. However, according to a report from Blick, via the Daily Record, the Hoops have been gifted a boost in their pursuit of the wonderkid.
That's despite talk that he could soon be on his way to either Wolfsburg or Borussia Monchengladbach, the midfielder's agent has revealed that no deal is close yet and that the Wolfsburg talk isn't even correct.
He said: "Not true. Gladbach is one of the interested parties, that's right. We are in contact with the club, that's true too. But not only with Gladbach. And first the path must be cleared financially for an immigration of this dimension. In other words: Gladbach has to sell first. Fabian is at the top of the list at Gladbach."
Even though Rieder is still only 21-years-old, he's already emerged as a real talent who has a lot of potential in the future. Having seen him in action, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has labelled him as one of the "biggest jewels" in the top tier of Swiss football at the moment and also called him a "high-quality" midfielder.
It means that he is already standing out in the entire division despite his youth – and with the potential to get even better, Celtic could have a really exciting signing on their hands if they can beat Monchengladbach to his signature.
