Transfer window is opened in January and Celtic has a scope of using it strengthening their squad ahead of the deadline for doing so next month.
However, the transfer window is just running for six days, and many associated names have already been finding space here in Parkhead or otherwise.
Central midfielder Odin Thiago Holm. Reportedly, this player is close to sealing a deal with MLs club LAFC, whereas Greg Taylor may soon find himself at Dinamo Zagreb permanently.
Celtic is keen on signing Kieran Tierney, the Scotland international, in a move away from Arsenal. They are also interested in Sarpsborg winger, Sondre Orjasaeter.
Another name targeting the same position as Scott is the Chelsea central midfielder, Kiernan Dewsbury Hall. He once linked to Brendan Rodgers during his Leicester City time.
Though Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi have not had their greatest actions at times this season, that could be an area of interest for the Hoops during the transfer window-the centre-forward.
Celtic’s striker woes
Neither of the club’s two senior striker options have really put down a marker and shown that they are the reliable, lethal, number nine to be the star man for Celtic.
Kyogo has started more Scottish Premiership matches (13) than Idah (seven) but his return in front of goal has been far from impressive this season, despite two goals against St Johnstone recently.
Idah has scored five goals and missed eight ‘big chances’ in 17 appearances in the division so far this term, and has only managed one goal and zero assists in his last 11 outings for the club in all competitions.
Kyogo has been given more opportunities to shine, with his 13 league starts, but the Ireland international has not done enough – particularly in the last 11 matches – to show that he deserves more game time.
Unfortunately, however, the Japanese forward has failed to deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership with his performances.
| 4/25 Premiership | Kyogo Furuhashi |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 19 |
| Starts | 13 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Big chances missed | 15 |
| Big chances created | 0 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As you can see in the table above, Kyogo has been incredibly wasteful with the high-quality chances that have been created for him, and has failed to create a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates.
A return of eight goals and 15 ‘big chances’ missed shows that he has not made the most of the creativity of his teammates, and that Celtic could, potentially, benefit from bringing in another forward who can offer more quality than Kyogo and Idah in the final third.
With this in mind, Rodgers could find a dream upgrade on the Japan international by revisiting his interest in one of the club’s summer transfer targets.
Celtic’s interest in Polish star
In the summer transfer window, Celtic were pursuing a deal to sign LAFC attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz to come in and bolster the manager’s options at the top end of the pitch.
The Scottish giants were reportedly in talks to strike a deal for the Polish star, who was valued at £8m by the MLS outfit, and made a bid in an attempt to secure his signature.
Unfortunately, however, that bid was not enough to get a deal over the line and the window passed by without the Hoops being able to reach an agreement with LAFC.
After the window, Bogusz admitted that he “knew” about Celtic’s interest but he was not prepared to comment further on it, as he was committed to seeing out the 2024 MLS campaign with LAFC.
At the time of that interview, in September, the Glasgow Times added that the Premiership champions could revisit their interest in the former Leeds United gem in January, as it is currently the off-season for MLS teams.
With this in mind, the Hoops should go back in for the £8m-rated forward because he has the potential to arrive at Parkhead as an upgrade on what they currently have at their disposal at the top end of the pitch.
Why Celtic should sign Mateusz Bogusz
The Scottish giants should swoop to bring the talented attacker to Paradise for a multitude of reasons, and the first of those reasons is his age.
At the age of 23, Celtic would be investing in a player who could either play for the club for the next ten years and provide consistent quality on the pitch to contribute to trophies or perform well for a season or two before being sold for a huge profit after they develop during their time in Glasgow.
Whereas, Kyogo turns 30 this month and there may not be much more development, or potential for his value to increase, for him to go through before the end of his Hoops career.
Bogusz has played in a variety of roles throughout his time in the MLS, on the right wing, as an attacking midfielder, as a centre-forward, and as a central midfielder, but it is the number nine position where Celtic could get the best out of him.
As aforementioned, Rodgers’ current strikers have struggled in front of goal this season and the LAFC star’s form in the MLS in 2024 suggests that he has the potential to come in as an upgrade on Kyogo as a finisher.
As you can see in the table above, Bogusz was a lethal finisher in the MLS last year, only missing five ‘big chances’ in 36 matches on his way to 16 goals.
His 16 strikes came from an xG of just 9.20. Meanwhile, Kyogo has scored eight times from 11.46 xG in the Premiership this season, which illustrates the gulf in finishing quality between the two.
Bogusz, who was once described as a “dangerous” player by journalist Greg Beacham, also created nine ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the MLS, which suggests that he could do more to bring others into the game than the Japanese forward is currently doing.
