Celtic considering bid for £2.5m-rated Maeda upgrade

Celtic turn their attention away from the Scottish Premiership this weekend as they prepare to host Kilmarnock at Parkhead in their first match in the SFA Cup this season.

The Hoops won the competition, thanks to a last-minute goal from Adam Idah, by beating Rangers at Hampden Park at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, and are looking to retain their crown.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have, of course, already won the other domestic cup this term, beating their Glasgow rivals on penalties at the national stadium in the League Cup final last month.

The Bhoys are also 13 points clear at the top of the Premiership table and are on course to win the Scottish top-flight for the fourth season running.

There is plenty, therefore, for Rodgers to be happy about in regards to his team’s performance this term, but that has not stopped him from wanting to dip into the market to make additions to his squad.

The January transfer window does not close until the start of next month and the Scottish giants are reportedly looking to bolster their options in the wide areas before the deadline passes.

Celtic eyeing up new winger

According to the Daily Record, Celtic are one of the clubs interested in a potential swoop for BK Hacken forward Zeidane Inoussa this month, as they eye up a new winger to improve the squad.

The report claims that French side St Etienne are also keen on the Swedish youngster and have sent scouts to watch him in action in his home country this season.

It adds that the Hoops have also sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old attacker on a regular basis in recent weeks, to collect information on his performances to help them decide whether or not to act upon their interest in him.

The Daily Record states that Rodgers has made signing a new left-sided forward a priority for the January transfer window, as he wants competition for Daizen Maeda and to resolve the uncertainty over Luis Palma’s long-term future at Parkhead.

The outlet claims that Celtic are now considering a bid to sign the right-footed whiz to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, just as they did last January when they swooped to sign Nicolas Kuhn from Rapid Vienna.

It is not revealed how much Hacken would demand for their Sweden U21 international, but the young gem is valued at €3m (£2.5m) by Transfermarkt, which may help to give a ballpark figure in regards to what Celtic may have to spend to secure his signature before the end of the window.

Any left winger arriving at Parkhead this month will have to compete with Maeda to secure a starting spot in the team, so what do they have to compete against?

Daizen Maeda’s form this season

The Japan international has racked up 14 goals and six assists in 29 appearances in all competitions this season, with six goals and one assist coming in three League Cup outings.

Maeda has provided a threat as a scorer and a creator of goals in all competitions for the Scottish giants but his form in the Premiership has been far from perfect on the left flank.

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old winger has averaged a goal or an assist every other game on average, but his finishing has been less-than-impressive.

The Japanese attacker has missed a whopping 12 ‘big chances’ in front of goal and only scored five times in the Premiership, which suggests that he has not made the most of the quality opportunities that his teammates have created for him on a regular basis.

These statistics suggest that there is room for the Hoops to find a player who could come in and offer more than Maeda, particularly in the league, in the final third.

Why Celtic should sign Inoussa

The Scottish giants should swoop to sign Inoussa before the end of the January transfer window because he has the potential to be an upgrade on the Japan international on the left wing, and he could be a dream signing for Kyogo Furuhashi.

Celtic’s number eight has produced ten goals in 15 starts in the Premiership this season, which is a solid return, but he has also spurned a staggering 17 ‘big chances’ in front of goal.

Kyogo is not a clinical striker who is going to score every chance that comes his way. However, he is a forward whose movement consistently puts him into great positions for his teammates to find him in the final third, which is why he could love playing with Inoussa, who has the quality to find him.

In the 2023 Allsvenskan, the 22-year-old whiz scored five goals and created four ‘big chances’ in ten appearances for Hacken, and he followed that up with more strong performances in 2024.

As you can see in the table above, Inoussa has the potential to come in as an upgrade on Maeda by being more ruthless in front of goal as a finisher and by creating chances for his teammates more frequently.

The Sweden U21 international has produced 11 goals and ten ‘big chances’ created in his last 32 league games for Hacken, whilst Maeda has managed 11 goals and ten ‘big chances’ created in his last 48 league outings for Celtic.

Therefore, Kyogo could benefit from playing with Inoussa on the left flank, rather than Maeda, because it could result in more ‘big chances’ falling his way in the box.

Signing the Hacken star would provide the Japanese winger with serious competition for his place in the side and ensure that complacency does not set in during the second half of the season, which could also help the club in their pursuit of more trophies this term.