Celtic confirm Maik Nawrocki signing as Polish defender tipped for international stardom after penning five-year deal

Celtic have completed their sixth signing of the summer transfer window as Polish defender Maik Nawrocki joins on a five-year deal, subject to international clearance.

The 22-year-old - a Polish youth internationalist - is a former team-mate of ex-Hoops star Josip Juranovic during their time together at Legia Warsaw in 2021. He helped the Ekstraklasa outfit win the Polish Cup last season, scoring the final spot-kick in a 6-5 penalty shoot-out victory over Rakow Czestochowa.

German-born Nawrocki came through Werder Bremen’s youth system before initially joining Warsaw on loan for a season. That move turned into a permanent stay last year but he has now finalised a switch to the Scottish champions for a fee of around £4.3million after making 60 appearances and scoring five goals during his two seasons in Poland.

He joins South Korean duo Kwon Kyeok-kyu and Yang Hyun-jun who sealed their moves to Parkhead on Monday, with Odin THiago Holm and Marco Tilio arriving earlier in the window.

Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers told the club’s official website: “It’s another very good signing for us and we’re delighted to have brought Maik to the club. He’s a very highly-rated young player and someone who we believe will be a great addition to the squad.

“He’s also a player I am very much aware of, having seen him play for Legia Warsaw in the Europa League and I know he was very keen to move to Celtic, so we’re looking forward to working with him.”

Nawrocki, who was included in his country’s initial World Cup squad before missing out on selection for the final 26-man group to feature in Qatar, has been strongly tipped for a bright future by several members of the national team. Commenting on his transfer to Celtic, he stated: “It’s great for me to have joined Celtic and I’m looking forward to meeting up with my new team-mates and start training with them.

“Celtic are a famous club throughout the world and, of course, they’re very well-known in Poland, having had a number of Polish players in recent years, so I know just how big this club is and how incredible the supporters are, and I can’t wait to play in front of the fans and experience that for myself.”