Ermin Mahmic: The 4.0 and 2.03 stats that have convinced Celtic as agreement close
Celtic are edging towards a move for Slovan Liberec midfielder Ermin Mahmic with an £8.5million deal reportedly progressing well.
The 21-year-old is a key target for the Hoops this summer, as they look to complete a signing spree in the final weeks of the window.
The attacking midfielder impressed at this summer's World Cup with Bosnia and Herzegovina, scoring against Switzerland and Qatar.
Mahmic would be expected to play in a similar role as Benjamin Nygren, although the pair could well feature together.
Celtic have started the season in fine form, scoring 13 goals and conceding just one across their four matches so far, winning all comfortably.
Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran look to be inspired signings, while Mika Baur made a strong start in the Champions League qualifiers.
Ermin Mahmic's impressive stats
Much of Mahmic's career has been played in Austria, where he was born and played for the youth international teams.
The midfielder made his way through several clubs at the academy level, before joining SV Lafnitz in 2023, where he was signed from by Czech side Slovan Liberec last summer.
The 21-year-old was handed his international debut for Bosnia in May, much to the frustration of the Austrian FA, and has been capped five times since.
Mahmic caught the eye at the World Cup, but his performances in the Czech top flight have been building excitement for some time.
The talent made 28 appearances in the Chance Liga last season for Slovan Liberec, scoring seven goals and providing three assists.
Incredibly, Mahmic averaged four shots and 1.27 shots on target per 90 minutes - numbers that would look at home belonging to a striker.
The midfielder also registered 2.03 chances created per game, a staggering amount, and delivered 1.74 successful crosses, ranking him in the league's top eight per cent.
There are areas of Mahmic's game to work on - he averaged just 3.59 duels won per game, bettered by 85 per cent of the league, and his 1.97 defensive contributions are in the bottom 10 per cent.
Yet the fundamentals are absolutely there, and they are hugely exciting for Celtic.
Mahmic has been compared to Miralem Pjanic
Mahmic has drawn some comparisons to legendary Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic, despite the differences in their styles.
The youngster is a far more attacking presence than the controlling presence the former Barcelona midfielder was known for being.
Pjanic made 115 appearances for Bosnia - something Mahmic may hope to replicate. "You can't believe how happy and proud he is to be with us," Bosnia manager Sergej Barbarez said when asked about his selection for the World Cup.
"He plays in the position of eight and 10, he has depth, the profile of a player that we don't have much. A player who will continue to develop, with the aim that Bosnia will have good players in the next 10 years."