‘Excellent’ player must surely regret leaving Celtic now, he could be relegated

Celtic’s transfer business has certainly come under the microscope this season. The incomings have been under some serious scrutiny but so has one particular outgoing.

Carl Starfelt left Celtic last summer to join Rafa Benitez at Celta Vigo amid rumours that he wanted to be closer to his partner Jacynta Galabadaarachchi who left to join Portuguese outfit Sporting CP.

However, the Swedish international denied that and said that whilst it would be advantageous to be close to Jacynta, it was football reasons that ultimately decided his move.

At the time, the decision by Celtic to allow Starfelt to leave was criticised in some quarters due to the fact that Cameron Carter-Vickers had just undergone knee surgery.

Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke were both brought in as replacements but, as we all know, they have failed to make a serious impression so far at the club.

So to suggest Celtic may well regret allowing Starfelt to leave last summer after all the issues we have had at the back is not too much of a stretch.

However, it may well be that Starfelt is the one who should be looking back and wondering why he left after all that’s happened at his new club since his Celtic exit.

Described as ‘excellent’ by Ange Postecoglou, the 28-year-old has made 25 appearances for the Spanish side and after a bright debut in the 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad, he has been an ever-present in Rafa Benitez’s team.

Starfelt then went on a run of 14 games in the heart of the Celta defence but out of those, the La Liga side won just one, lost seven and drew six as his career in Spain started to turn sour.

Benitez dropped Starfelt after that run and Celta then recorded their first win just before the Swede picked up a thigh injury that kept him out for three weeks. [Transfermarkt]

However, Celta’s form continued to dip and despite captaining the team in their fifth win of the season, Starfelt now hovers above the relegation zone just two points clear [BBC] and now the manager that signed him, Rafa Benitez, has been sacked this week after being thumped 4-0 by Real Madrid. [ESPN]

A dream move has quickly turned sour and Starfelt must surely look back at his trophy-laden days at Celtic and think ‘what if’.

GET MORE NEWS ON CELTIC FC FROM SPORTNET247.CO.UK