BIRGER Meling’s agent, the former Liverpool defender Bjorn Tore Kvarme, last night backed his client, a Celtic signing target, to flourish if he moves abroad to a foreign club this summer, writes Matthew Lindsay.
Meling is set to start for Rosenborg in the first leg of their Champions League play-off against Dinamo Zagreb away in Croatia tonight after helping them beat Linfield, BATE Borisov and Maribor in the qualifying rounds.
And Kvarme stressed the chance to represent the Norwegian champions in the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition for the first time was appealing to the 24-year-old.
However, Eirik Horneland, the Trondheim club’s manager, last week admitted: “Birger will probably move on at some point.” Neil Lennon has admitted he is keen to increase his options at left back.
Kvarme, who played at Anfield for two seasons in the late 1990s before joining Saint-Etienne in France and then Real Sociedad in Spain, now represents Meling.
The former Norway centre half admitted that Rosenborg could be prepared to cash in on the full-back, whose current deal expires at the end of next season, this summer if they receive an offer that matches their valuation.
“Nothing has happened yet,” said Kvarme. “The transfer window in Norway is open until the end of the month.
“He has got one and a half years left on his contract so of course it could be interesting for the club to sell to get some decent money. But they are still playing to get into the Champions League so that may influence things as well.
“In general, it is always interesting for players to go to bigger leagues to play for bigger clubs. You just have to find the right moment. But if Rosenborg get into the Champions League that is interesting for Birger as well. We will have to wait and see what happens.”
Celtic have enjoyed great success with Scandinavian players in recent years with Kristoffer Ajer, Mikael Lustig and Stefan Johanssen all doing well at Parkhead.
Kvarme believes that Meling, the former Stabaek player who has been capped 10 times by Norway in the last two years, has many strengths as a player and could cope with a move overseas.
“I think he can play in a stronger league and at a stronger club,” he said. “He is a good attacking full-back, he can run all day, he has got decent crosses and good technique and he can defend. He is very aggressive as well.
“Moving abroad was definitely a good experience for me both professionally and personally. You grow as a person, but in your professional life it is always good to get new challenges as well.”
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