Harald Brattbakk reckons £2.5 million-rated Odin Thiago Holm has the same potential as Norway superstar Martin Odegaard.
The Valerenga midfielder is understood to be on the radar of Celtic. Sources in Norway insist the Parkhead club are keen on the 20-year-old who was subject of a rejected £2.2 million offer from Danes FC Copenhagen during the last transfer window. Brattbakk knows the youngster well as they are both from the town of Trondheim and he has closely followed his career. The former Celtic striker believes Holm has the talent to succeed in Scotland with talk of a big move to Europe having been on the cards for a period of time.
Brattbakk explained: “Yes he is discussed every year. He was only 17 when he left and has been three years at Valerenga. The manager wanted to play him young, so he’s got quite a few games at a high level. You can see that he has got potential. With the likes of him compared to say a Martin Odegaard, maybe he has the same potential, but Odegaard got the potential out when he was 15.
“You could see he would become really good. With Holm, it is a bit different and it is always exciting to see when players move if they are able to reach the next level. You would think they have got it, but you don’t know until they try. He’s from my home town. He’s exciting and he’s been consistently good and he is one of those players who are still young, but also good.
“How well he would fit into a Celtic team I wouldn’t know because I don’t know who the manager is going to be. I would say he is more attacking than defensive. Certainly his work ethic is really good. He runs a lot and is one of those players who you don’t see all of the time during games, but he is right behind you backing you up or he is just in front of you taking charge. I think he’s been at a good place developing.”
Brattbakk feels that, as he looks at the current squad at Parkhead, Holm would be able to offer a different style to any of the current midfield operators within the group and also provide important depth of quality for the new boss.
He said: “I think he would bring something new to the table. That’s always a good thing for any manager who comes to have a player who could be filling a different role or being the last piece of a puzzle. You have the two cups, the league and Europe. That could be many games. Manchester City’s team against Inter Milan was their most-chosen one throughout the season.
“But the bench, you had Foden, Walker, Laporte, Alvarez, Mahrez. You could put any of them into the team and you wouldn’t notice a difference. That’s the only way to win the Champions League. To have that strength. That might be what the likes of Holm could do in a Celtic squad. He could just fill that puzzle with a piece that would fit and would add to the squad.”
Holm added Thiago to his name three years ago having been inspired by the midfielder Alcantara who was a star with Barcelona before moving onto Liverpool. Brattbakk confirmed: “I don’t know what Thiago it was. I think it is because his first name was Odin which is a very Viking name. It doesn’t match with first or last name! Not at all! His dad is also really into football, so it was not by coincidence.”
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