Celtic ace backed for major EPL transfer by countryman as club to build team around £69m-rated winger

Celtic playmaker Benjamin Nygren has been backed to make a major impact on the English Premier League after his outstanding debut campaign in the Scottish Premiership last season.

The Sweden international was a key performer as Martin O’Neill’s side won a fifth consecutive league title with a final-day 3-1 victory over Hearts, topping the scoring charts with an impressive 21 goals in all competitions, while he also represented his country at the World Cup this summer as they made it to the last-32 of the tournament.

Costing just £1.7million when he arrived from FC Nordsjælland last summer, Nygren’s form has not gone unnoticed across the border, though, and has been heavily linked with a move in recent months. Refusing to rule out a transfer exit this summer amid rumoured interest in his services following a dream debut campaign, the 24-year-old said “we'll see” when asked about his immediate future earlier this month.

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Nygren represented Sweden at the World Cup this summer in North America. | Getty Images

And with the World Cup now at an end, and movement in the transfer window expected to ramp up a notch, former Everton and Sweden winger Anders Limpar has urged his former club to prioritise a deal for Nygren this summer as they look to improve on last season’s 13th-placed finish.

“Make sure to keep [Jack] Grealish and [Iliman] Ndiaye, and get John Stones back,” said Limpar. “They shouldn't sell their best players. Everton need Grealish and Ndiaye to compete for the top spots again. You can`t just sell players. He is an Everton player, so please keep him. They have to keep their good players and bring good players in rather than selling your best players. They need to bring in good players. Like Benjamin Nygren, or even Lucas Bergvall. That is the kind of players they need.”

Linked with a £69million move to Manchester United earlier in the summer, Everton face a potential battle to hold onto key man Ndiaye, who scored six goals and assisted three more in the English top flight last season. He continued to impress at the World Cup with Senegal too, registering three goal contributions in as many games.

Anders Limpar, in action for Everton during his playing day, wants to see Nygren targeted by his former club. | Getty Images

However, Limpar has insisted they must look to reject any offers forthcoming before the transfer deadline on September 1, and instead look to add the likes of Nygren to the squad as they look to break into the top half of the table when the new season gets underway next month.

"It will be a big, big blow if Iliman Ndiaye leaves Everton for Manchester United or another club,” Limpat told PariuriX. “He is the best player in this Everton team. Of course, Everton would like to keep Jack Grealish either on a loan deal or buy him, but Ndiaye was the best player and he will be one of the best players in the whole Premier League going forward."