Celtic wanted “world-class” star, now he’s worth more than Jota & Kuhn

Celtic’s European dreams came to a crushing end on Tuesday night when they were beaten by Bayern Munich on aggregate in the play-off round of the Champions League.

The Hoops, who had lost 2-1 at Parkhead in the first leg, were on course for extra-time in Bavaria before a last-gasp goal from Alphonso Davies secured progression for the German giants.

Brendan Rodgers’ side had gone 1-0 up thanks to a strike from Nicolas Kuhn in the second half but they were unable to keep the hosts at bay for the entire 90 minutes.

Despite being knocked out of the competition, the Northern Irish head coach should be proud of how well his team performed over the two legs as they went toe-to-toe with Bayern Munich and came ever so close to forcing extra-time.

The quality of the forwards at Rodgers’ disposal played a big role in their success as the likes of Daizen Maeda, Jota, and Kuhn caught the eye with their displays.

In fact, Celtic’s new wing wizards – Kuhn and Jota – could be set for an exciting second half of the season as the club remain on course to win the Scottish Premiership and the SFA Cup.

Jota and Kuhn’s Celtic wizardry

In the January transfer window, the Scottish giants swooped to bring the Portuguese winger back to the club for a second spell at Parkhead, 18 months on from his move to Al-Ittihad.

The former Benfica starlet, who had joined Rennes on a permanent deal last summer, enjoyed two brilliant seasons in Glasgow with Ange Postecoglou in the dugout, producing 21 goals and 21 assists in the league – as shown in the graphic above.

Jota has produced an impressive return of two goals and one assist in three Premiership outings for Rodgers so far, and looks set for an enjoyable second half of the campaign.

Kuhn, meanwhile, has caught the eye across all competitions for the Hoops this season, with his sublime performances on the right flank as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

The German winger, formerly of Bayern Munich and Ajax’s academies, has racked up a haul of 18 goals and 12 assists in all competitions for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has been a standout star for the Premiership leaders in the top-flight with his ability to score goals, create chances, and take on opposition defenders with the ball at his feet.

The left-footed wizard and Jota are both among the top six most valuable players at the club, rated at £8.2m and £6.6m respectively per Transfermarkt, but the Hoops once wanted another technical maestro who is now worth even more than both of them combined.

Celtic’s interest in Norwegian sensation

Back in December of 2014, former Celtic boss Ronny Deila confirmed that he was interested in a deal to sign Martin Odegaard, who he had coached and brought through to the first-team at the age of 15 with Stromsgodset.

When asked about the young midfielder, the Norwegian boss said: “He is very special. Every time he gets a level, he takes it. His attitude is great and he always wants to progress, to learn. I know what’s happening. He’s in the town where my kids live and I know a lot of people there.

“I have control of the situation and we’ll see what we do. If there are possibilities, of course, we will try it. But it’s a very hard competition.”

One month later, Real Madrid unveiled the 16-year-old wonderkid as their latest addition in a deal reported to be worth just €4m (£3.3m) in the January transfer window, which meant that the Hoops missed out on the chance to reunite Deila with Odegaard.

There is, of course, no shame is being beaten to a signing by one of the biggest, if not the biggest, clubs in the world, but the Norwegian youngster is still one that got away for the Hoops, when you consider what he has gone on to achieve.

How much Martin Odegaard is worth now

At the time of writing (22/02/2024), Odegaard is valued at a staggering €110m (£91m) and is the current captain of Premier League giants and title-contenders Arsenal.

The left-footed playmaker did not make the grade at Real Madrid but has made a name for himself in England, with 38 goals and 31 assists in 179 appearances for the Gunners to date.

Odegaard has provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Mikel Arteta’s side in the Premier League, which has helped his market value to soar in recent years.

The Norway international, who was described as a “world-class” talent by ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson, is worth significantly more than both Jota and Kuhn combined, as well as being worth more than any of the club’s most valuable sales.

As you can see in the table above, which includes their market value – not reported transfer fee – at the time of their departure from Parkhead, no player has left the club whilst being anywhere near as valuable as Odegaard is now.

This illustrates how much of a blow it was for Deila to miss out on signing the teenage talent back at the start of 2015, as he could have developed into a hugely valuable asset and brilliant player for Celtic if they had won the race for his services.

Instead, he tried and failed to make his mark the Santiago Bernabeu and is now thriving week-in-week-out in the Premier League with the Gunners.