Tomas Cerny knows for a fact that Peter Vindahl Jensen is great with a ball at his feet. However, the former Hamilton and Aberdeen goalkeeper insists Celtic will have one hell of a job trying to prize the shot-stopper from the clutches of parent club Sparta Prague.
Cerny read the reports linking Celtic with a move for the Danish goalkeeper and he reckons Vindahl Jensen completely fits the bill for what Brendan Rodgers wants in a number one. The 26-year-old is allegedly in talks with the Scottish champions about a switch to Glasgow after he impressed in a loan spell in Prague from AZ Alkmaar. The Czech Republic side shelled out £3 million to make the deal permanent in March just as Joe Hart announced he was hanging up his gloves at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Vindahl Jensen managed 47 appearances for the club last season and like Hart helped Sparta Prague clinch the Czech League and Cup double. Rodgers is an admirer of the player and it is believed that Vindahl Jensen is still on the Scottish champions' radar and remains on the club's shopping list this summer. The 6ft 4in Dane has not yet been capped for his country but he has been named in numerous squads and has experience of playing at Danish under-21 level.
Vindahl Jensen played against Rangers twice in the Europa League during the 2023/24 season and he was also on the bench when Ange Postecoglou's Celtic side knocked out AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League qualifiers back in 2021. Cerny believes that Vindahl Jensen could cope with the demands of playing with a club like Celtic.
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Cerny said: "Peter Vindahl Jensen would certainly suit Brendan Rodgers' style of play at Celtic. He is a very good shot-stopper. He is also very good with his feet and that is a big plus point for any goalkeeper. That's the attribute that will be attracting Rodgers the most. That appears to be the style and type of goalkeeper that Rodgers will be looking for and Vindahl Jensen certainly ticks that box.
"Potentially Vindhal would fit in quite well with the way Rodgers wants to play at Celtic. I do not doubt that Vindhal could handle a move to Celtic and cope with the pressure of playing in big European games as well as against Rangers based on his achievements and performances with Sparta Prague. The fans are also demanding at that club and he handled it all well.
"He has been a strong performer for Sparta Prague this season as he made 47 appearances in all competitions and helped them win the league and cup double for the first time since 2013/14, so it just goes to show what a vital contribution he made to the team. He played against Rangers in the Europa League this season where they drew 0-0 at home and lost 2-1 at Ibrox but they qualified for the knockout phases and they defeated Galatasaray before succumbing to Liverpool.
"Sparta had the option to extend his loan deal and they did that by coughing up £3 million to make his stay permanent. Celtic's problem will be now that Vindahl Jensen is Sparta's player they will be very reluctant to let him go. I have been reading the articles in the Czech media I will be very surprised if Sparta would be willing to let him go. If Celtic are sniffing around him then Sparta will want a bit of cash having just signed the player in March.
"They'll be fighting tooth and nail to keep him. The big question is can Celtic make this deal happen?"
With Sparta winning the Czech title they have qualified for the Champions League qualifiers but Cerny admits that Celtic can entice players to come to Glasgow to ply their trade because they will have a minimum of eight games in the newly revamped competition.
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Cerny said: "Playing eight games in the Champions League new format would appeal to any player let alone a goalkeeper.
"Celtic have that in their sales pitch after their efforts in the campaign just passed. Everybody talks about the atmosphere and the crowds at Celtic Park on a Champions League night. That is the stuff of legend. Sparta Prague play in front of decent crowds as they have been sold out all season but there is a big difference between playing in front of 20,000 spectators and 60,000 supporters."
Whilst any new goalkeeper coming into Celtic has big gloves to fill after Hart decided to call it a day, Cerny reckons that is a challenge to be attacked head-on. The 39-year-old said: "It is a challenge to be relished.
"It all depends on the personality as well. Vindahl Jensen is a more quiet goalkeeper and he will be a different type of personality altogether than Joe Hart. I don't know Vindahl Jensen personally, I am making these judgements based on what I have seen and heard about him. This is a big decision for Celtic and getting the goalkeeping position right is crucial. It backfired on them a few years ago when they brought in Vasilis Barkas from Greece.
"Vindahl Jensen has a wealth of football experience by now and he would be able to cope with it. However, this wouldn't be like another career move. He would be moving to Celtic and that is something else entirely.
"He would be taking the next step in terms of progressing his career as he would play in the Champions League proper if he signed for Celtic."
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