Celtic and Beşiktaş in two club battle for Etienne Youte | OneFootball

Transfer moves to sign Etienne Youte have picked up it seems—and, according to transfer insider Ekrem Konur, it may now be down to just two clubs – Celtic and Beşiktaş.

‘#TransferNews – Beşiktaş and Celtic are in talks to sign defender Etienne Youte.’

The 23-year-old centre-back from Le Havre has attracted interest from several European sides after a solid 2024/25 season in Ligue 1. But while Anderlecht, Burnley, and Everton had been reported as monitoring the defender, it’s Celtic and Beşiktaş, according to Konur, who have stepped up that pursuit and entered talks.

Youte, a former Inter Milan youth product, has just one year left on his contract, prompting Le Havre to consider offers now rather than risk losing him for free next summer. Club president Jean-Michel Roussier recently admitted the club may be forced to accept a fee in the region of £4.3 million due to mounting financial pressures.

Two central defenders have already been moved on this summer by Celtic. Gustav Lagerbielke has joined Braga and Maik Nawrocki has gone to Hannover on loan.

With those departures, Celtic face a familiar dilemma.

On the left side, the situation is relatively secure. Auston Trusty has bedded in fairly well since arriving last summer and was man of the match against Newcastle on Saturday. And Liam Scales, having continued his steady development under Rodgers, remains a dependable enough squad rotation option.

But neither are natural right-sided central defenders—and that’s where the issue lies.

Cameron Carter-Vickers. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Cameron Carter-Vickers is the first-choice right centre-back and the main man in Celtic’s defence. But over the last couple of seasons, he has spent spells on the sidelines with recurring injuries. Betting on him to be available every week across a full domestic and European campaign is perhaps optimistic.

Behind him, the picture is less clear. Dane Murray, a promising talent who has shown up well in pre-season, has struggled to stay fit since Ange Postecoglou’s first season. Expecting him to be next in line is something of a gamble, especially for a club with Champions League ambitions.

Meanwhile, Stephen Welsh—who returned from a strong loan spell at Mechelen—is now sidelined again, having dislocated his shoulder in a pre-season friendly against Cork City. As such an expected return to Mechelen is now on ice, with Brendan Rodgers confirming Welsh may require surgery.

Celtic may well see Youte as a ‘one in two out’ replacement for departing defenders Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke, so it would make sense if Brendan Rodgers wanted to bring him in.

On the other side, Beşiktaş, under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, are working to strengthen their squad and it seems they too have identified Youte as a target to bolster their central defence.

While nothing has been finalised, Konur’s latest update indicates that this one could be entering its final stages, with Celtic and Beşiktaş now, it seems in talks. But with Turkish football seemingly awash with funds these days, perhaps Solskjær’s side will hold the upper hand.

Niall J

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