Former Celtic transfer target Sondre Orjasaeter has been named the world’s most progressive winger aged 23 or under in a new statistical study.
The Norwegian was heavily pursued by the Hoops during Brendan Rodgers’ second spell in charge, with Celtic exploring a move across both the January and summer transfer windows in 2025.
A deal never materialised and Orjasaeter eventually left Sarpsborg for FC Twente in a £4.5million move.
His development in the Netherlands has continued at pace, with the latest figures from the CIES Football Observatory placing him top of an intriguing global ranking.
CIES analysed wingers across the world’s top 60 leagues based on progressive carries in the opposition half, defined as carries which advance their team by more than 80 metres.
Orjasaeter sits comfortably clear among players aged 23 and under and is the only winger in the study to average more than six such carries per 90 minutes.
The list also features Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal and another former Celtic target in Carlos Forbs, underlining the impressive company Orjasaeter finds himself among.
His performances have reportedly attracted significant interest elsewhere, with Twente said to have rejected offers worth as much as €20million for the winger during the summer.
It makes for interesting reading from a Celtic perspective given their previous pursuit of the Norwegian and the scrutiny surrounding their current wide options.
Yang Hyun-jun has provided some bright moments this season, but Haissem Hassan has faced criticism over his end product while Sebastian Tounekti has also struggled to consistently make an impact.
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