Rodgers plots Celtic move for Kuhn 2.0

Celtic swiftly return to action in the Scottish Premiership after Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Dundee United as they take on Ross County away from home on Saturday.

The Hoops secured a comfortable victory at Parkhead during the week, thanks to goals from Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, and are now 15 points clear at the top of the table.

Brendan Rodgers will be delighted with the performance of his team domestically this season, whilst the Scottish giants have also only lost once in six Champions League outings.

The Northern Irish boss, however, is tasked with ensuring that his team remains consistent and enjoys a similar second half of the season, to add more trophies to the cabinet.

Rodgers could use the January transfer window, which officially opened for business last week, in order to do that, by adding further quality to his squad in the next few weeks.

In fact, the Celtic boss is reportedly looking to bring in a new forward to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch before the deadline at the start of next month.

Celtic eyeing new forward

According to Italian outlet Il Messaggero, as relayed by Sport Witness, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Lazio winger Gustaf Isaksen in January.

Rodgers is plotting a swoop to sign the 23-year-old forward after failing to get a move over the line to bring him to Parkhead in the summer transfer window.

Celtic reportedly wanted to sign the Danish wizard in the summer in the last week before the deadline but were unable to strike a deal for his services, and they ended that window without signing a recognised winger.

This latest report from Il Messaggero claims that the Scottish Premiership champions are now back in for him again, whilst Serie A side Bologna are also keen on the young forward, which means that they could face competition for his signature.

The outlet adds that Lazio would prefer to sell him at the end of the 2024/25 campaign but they are open to cashing in on him in January if an acceptable offer arrives at the table before the end of the window.

It reveals that the Italian side have set a price tag of €15m (£12.5m) for the forward, although there is no mention of how much Celtic or Bologna would be willing to pay for the left-footed whiz.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops will go through with an official offer to sign the winger, it would be an even bigger deal than the one that brought Arne Engels to Parkhead in the summer.

The fee Celtic paid for Arne Engels

The Scottish giants smashed their club transfer record ahead of the 2023/24 campaign by paying a reported fee of £11m to sign the central midfielder from Augsburg, to bolster Rodgers’ options in the middle of the park after Matt O’Riley completed a move to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Celtic had three bids turned down by the Bundesliga side before they ended up splashing out a club-record fee, and it could be a similar case with Isaksen – albeit across two windows – after they failed to get a deal done for him in the summer.

Engels produced three goals and two assists in 32 appearances in the German top-flight for Augsburg last season, and has increased his output in the final third during his time in Glasgow so far.

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian talent has already racked up six goal contributions in 18 Premiership matches this term, providing a strong threat at the top end of the pitch from a central midfield position.

Celtic will now be hoping that the 21-year-old ace continues to develop and can grow to be worth even more than the £11m that they invested in him last year.

For a fee of £12.5m, Isaksen would arrive in an even bigger deal than Engels but also as another player with time ahead of him to grow and develop, whilst he has shown plenty of quality in his career already to suggest that he could be a star for the Hoops.

Why Celtic should sign Gustav Isaksen

Rodgers should swoop to sign the impressive youngster from Lazio because he could be Nicolas Kuhn 2.0 as another incredibly talented left-footed right winger.

Whilst it may sound odd for Celtic to sign a similar player to the German whiz when they still have him at the club, Isaksen can also play on the left wing or through the middle as a centre-forward. He could be utilised in all three positions before, potentially, taking over from the current star if he moves on in the summer.

Kuhn has scored 16 goals in 27 matches in all competitions for the Bhoys this season, cutting in on his left foot from the right, and the Lazio gem is a player with similar qualities.

The Danish sensation, who was once hailed as “extraordinary” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced two goals and two assists in 13 league starts for Lazio this term, after a return of three goals and one assist in 12 Serie A starts last season.

His form for FC Midtjylland in the 2022/23 campaign, however, suggests that the potential is there for him to make a bigger impact at the top end of the pitch in a team that dominates games and consistently creates big chances.

As you can see in the table above, Isaksen provided a regular threat in front of goal in the Danish top-flight and proved that he can perform week-in-week-out in a dominant team.

These statistics suggest that Celtic could unearth another Kuhn-level forward by signing the £12.5m star, as he could also thrive in Rodgers’ team and chip in with goals and assists on a regular basis.

Therefore, breaking the bank to seal an even bigger deal than the one that brought Engels to the club could be worth it for the Hoops, whether it happens now or in the summer.