Celtic have completed the signing of 19-year-old midfielder Joel van den Berg from PSV Eindhoven on a four-year contract, with the option of a further season.
The deal, which remains subject to international clearance, is understood to be worth up to £3.4m. Celtic will pay an initial £2.9m for the Netherlands youth international, with a further £500,000 available in add-ons.
Van den Berg becomes Martin O’Neill’s latest addition as Celtic strengthen their squad following last season’s title success. The midfielder signed his first professional contract with PSV in 2023, after moving to the Dutch club from the Vitesse academy.
He developed into a regular for PSV’s under-21 side and made his first-team debut against FC Groningen last season. He went on to make six official appearances for PSV, five of them during a campaign which ended with the club being crowned champions.
Van den Berg said he was relishing the opportunity to begin his Celtic career and work with the Scottish champions.
“It feels amazing and I’m very excited to start,” he told CelticPlayer. “I’m very excited to meet the rest of the team and to train with them and, obviously, I want to play many games and show myself to the fans.
“I want to show the best version of myself and develop as a player and also as a person, of course, and just make the fans proud.”
The move represents a significant step for Van den Berg, who believes Celtic’s status and expectations will help accelerate his development.
“Celtic is a very big club and they have to be champions,” he said. “So playing for the champions is, I think at this age, a very big step for me and very important.”
O’Neill welcomed the midfielder to Celtic and backed him to become a popular figure at Parkhead.
“We are really pleased to bring Joel to the club,” the Celtic manager said. “He is a hungry young player with real talent and technical ability and I believe he has a very exciting future ahead of him.
“I think he is a player that our fans will enjoy watching and I know he will be an important addition to our squad.”
“I’d like to make it clear that I’m very grateful for my time at PSV,” Van den Berg said. “I enjoyed playing at the Philips Stadium and the fantastic support from our fans.
“I’d also like to thank everyone at the club: from the staff to the people in the kitchen. And, of course, my teammates for the wonderful time we had.
“I look back with pride on my time in Eindhoven, where I was able to take significant steps forward both as a player and as a person. Who knows—maybe our paths will cross again in the future.”