Celtic have a “brilliant” young talent who could be their own Kvistgaarden

The January transfer window officially slammed shut on Monday night and it ended with one new signing added to the Celtic squad in the form of Jeffrey Schlupp.

Brendan Rodgers swooped to bring the 32-year-old star in on loan from Premier League side Crystal Palace until the end of the season to bolster his options in midfield and at left-back.

The Ghana international came off the bench to make his debut for the Hoops in their 6-0 win over Dundee at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

Celtic will, now, be hoping that the former Premier League title-winner will prove to be an excellent addition to the group as they go in search of more pieces of silverware in the second half of the season.

It was not a perfect deadline day, though, as some supporters may have been left frustrated by the lack of a striker, after Kyogo Furuhashi moved on from Paradise.

Ligue 1 side Rennes swooped in to sign the Japan international on a permanent deal last month, and the Hoops opted against replacing him in the transfer window, despite interest in Mathias Kvistgaarden.

Celtic’s failed pursuit of Mathias Kvistgaarden

The Scottish giants were interested in a deal to sign the Denmark U21 international from Superliga side Brondby in the January transfer window, but they were unable to strike an agreement to bring him to Parkhead.

It was reported that the two teams were in talks over a potential deal for the 22-year-old centre-forward, but those discussions reached an impasse over their respective valuations of the striker.

Brondby reportedly valued their star forward at a whopping £10m and Celtic seemingly decided that they were not willing to spend that kind of money on the marksman on deadline day, or before the last day of the window.

It would be understandable if any Hoops fans have been left frustrated by that because Kvistgaarden has been in terrific form in the Superliga this season.

The Danish sensation produced ten goals and seven assists in 28 appearances in all competitions for Brondby in the 2023/24 campaign, and has stepped his game up this time around.

As you can see in the table above, Kvistgaarden has been in lethal form in the Superliga this season, with ten goals in 15 appearances, and has offered his team creativity at the top end of the pitch.

These statistics show that the £10m-rated Celtic target had the potential to arrive at Parkhead as a clinical, given his lack of ‘big chances’ missed, striker who can also create chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.

However, Rodgers may be able to unearth his own version of Kvistgaarden by offeringJohnny Kenny the chance to develop into a first-team regular in the second half of this season.

Johnny Kenny’s form for Shamrock Rovers

The Ireland U21 international spent the 2023 and the 2024 campaigns on loan with Shamrock Rovers in his home country and it went almost as well as Celtic could have hoped for.

In the 2023 season, the then-teenager racked up five goals and four assists in 30 appearances in the Premier Division for the Irish side, which was a solid, but unspectacular, return in front of goal.

The young marksman returned to Shamrock Rovers for the 2024 campaign and improved his output in the final third with a return of 13 goals and two assists in 18 starts in the Premier Division.

Kenny scored two goals in three Champions League qualifiers, including the goal above, but that was not enough to prevent the team only qualifying for the Conference League.

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old striker was on fire in Europe for Shamrock Rovers, showcasing his clinical finishing by overperforming against his Expected Goals tally.

Overall, Kenny scored 20 goals in 27 starts across the Premier Division, the Conference League, and the Champions League qualifiers in 2024 for the Irish team, which shows that the potential is there for him to be a reliable goalscorer at senior level.

What should happen next for Johnny Kenny

Celtic brought him back to the club at the start of January and integrated him into first-team training, at which point Idah and Kyogo were both there and ahead of him in the pecking order.

Now that the Japan international has been sold to Rennes and the Hoops failed to sign Kvistgaarden from Brondby, Kenny is the second-choice centre-forward behind Idah at this moment in time.

Rodgers should, now, utilise Kenny as the back-up to the Ireland international in the second half of the season and offer him plenty of chances, whether that be off the bench or as a starter when the ex-Norwich man needs a rest, to allow him to gain valuable experience in a Celtic shirt.

This next three or four months should be used as time for the youngster to adapt to life in the Premiership and as a first-team player for Celtic, hopefully providing him with the experience required to kick on and hit the ground running next season.

As you can see in the table above, Kenny has already made two substitute appearances for the Hoops in the Scottish top-flight and registered his first goal contribution with an assist for Luke McCowan against Ross County last month.

After that moment, the Celtic manager described him as “absolutely brilliant” and claimed that the young attacker helped to energise the match for the team.

It is now down to the Ireland U21 international to keep taking his chances when they come and to show Rodgers signs that his development is heading in the right direction, as it did during his two seasons with Shamrock Rovers.

His form for Celtic and Shamrock Rovers suggest that the potential is there for him to be a Kvistgaarden-esque forward who can provide clinical finishing and creativity as a number nine, but it is now down to all parties to work hard to ensure that the potential is fulfilled at Parkhead.