Celtic are again in Champions League motion this week after a protracted stretch of purely home motion, as they put together to welcome Swiss giants Younger Boys to Parkhead on Wednesday night time.
Brendan Rodgers will probably be hoping that his facet can safe all three factors to maneuver one step nearer to qualifying for the play-off spherical of the competitors, after his group have been knocked out within the group stage final season.
The Hoops have been in terrific kind domestically. They at present sit high of the Scottish Premiership, have gained the League Cup, and beat Kilmarnock 2-1 within the SFA Cup on Saturday.
Celtic are on track for an additional profitable season underneath Rodgers, who gained the Premiership title and the SFA Cup in his first 12 months again on the membership, after the board closely backed him within the switch market.
Arne Engels was introduced in from Augsburg for a reported payment of £11m, a club-record deal for the Hoops, while the likes of Paulo Bernardo, Auston Trusty, and Luke McCowan, amongst others, have been additionally snapped up.
One of many membership’s offers from the summer time switch window could come underneath some scrutiny, although, as Adam Idah has struggled at occasions this season.
Adam Idah’s kind this season
The Scottish giants swooped to signal the Eire worldwide from Norwich Metropolis in a deal value £8.5m, plus one other £1m in potential add-ons, forward of this season.
It was a major outlay for a participant who had spent the second half of the 2023/24 marketing campaign on mortgage at Parkhead and caught the attention along with his performances within the centre-forward place for Celtic.
Idah scored the winner within the SFA Cup ultimate in opposition to Rangers, as proven within the highlights above, and scored eight targets in 15 appearances within the Premiership.
The 6 foot 3 marksman’s spectacular kind in entrance of objective within the ultimate few months of the season satisfied Rodgers and the membership to sanction a big-money transfer for the striker, however it has not gone to plan for him thus far this time period.
His efforts in Europe have been underwhelming, with a return of 1 objective in six appearances within the Champions League, and he has been extremely wasteful within the ultimate third within the Premiership.
Adam Idah (Premiership) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
Appearances (begins) | 15 (5) | 20 (10) |
Targets | 8 | 5 |
Huge possibilities missed | 7 | 10 |
Conversion fee | 27% | 13% |
Assists | 2 | 0 |
Stats by way of Sofascore | ||
As you possibly can see within the desk above, Idah has didn’t hit the heights that he reached in his time on mortgage on the membership final season, with simply 5 targets in 20 appearances within the Scottish top-flight.
These statistics present that the Irish striker has not lived as much as his price ticket at this second in time, resulting from his struggles on the high finish of the pitch, and Celtic have been linked with a ahead who might are available as an enormous improve on the ex-Norwich man.
Celtic’s curiosity in Danish ahead
Initially of final month, Soccer Insider reported that the Scottish giants are interested by a January deal to signal Brondby centre-forwad Mathias Kvistgaarden to bolster their squad.
Switch Focus
Mega cash offers, controversial strikes and big-name flops. That is the house of switch information and opinion throughout Soccer FanCast.
The outlet claimed that the Hoops have been retaining tabs on the Denmark U21 worldwide’s performances within the Superliga, while it added that the membership have been long-term admirers of the striker.
Celtic have been linked with an curiosity within the 22-year-old ahead final summer time, when his switch worth was reported to be round £8.5m, and stay eager on the spectacular teenager.
Soccer Insider revealed, although, that the Bhoys could be ready to attend till the summer time switch window if a transfer is just not viable in January, however their hand could possibly be compelled by curiosity from elsewhere.
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg lately claimed that Eintracht Frankfurt are eyeing Kvistgaarden, whom he described as an “explosive” expertise, as one in every of many potential targets to interchange Omar Marmoush, who is about to signal for Premier League champions Manchester Metropolis.
With this in thoughts, Celtic ought to make their transfer to signal the Danish dynamo earlier than the tip of the January switch window to make sure that they don’t lose out within the race for his signature, as he might are available as an enormous improve on Idah.
Why Celtic ought to signal Mathias Kvistgaarden
The 22-year-old star has been in spectacular kind for Brondby within the Danish top-flight and his performances this season counsel that he would provide extra to Rodgers than the Irish marksman has thus far this time period.
As aforementioned, the £9.5m signing from Norwich has not executed sufficient in entrance of objective to nail down an everyday spot within the beginning line-up, with ten ‘huge possibilities’ missed and solely 5 targets scored in 20 appearances within the Premiership.
Kvistgaarden, in the meantime, has taken his recreation to a different stage within the Superliga this season after a return of eight targets and 5 assists in 24 league matches final time period.
The Celtic and Frankfurt goal has offered a constant menace on the high finish of the pitch for Brondby as each a scorer and a creator of targets, which has attracted curiosity from golf equipment this month.
24/25 season | Idah (Premiership) | Kvistgaarden (Superliga) |
|---|---|---|
Appearances | 20 | 15 |
Targets | 5 | 10 |
Huge possibilities missed | 10 | 6 |
Conversion fee | 13% | 26% |
Assists | 0 | 4 |
Stats by way of Sofascore | ||
As you possibly can see within the desk above, Kvistgaarden has considerably outperformed Idah at league stage this season, with twice as many targets and 4 extra assists, while additionally lacking 4 fewer ‘huge possibilities’.
The Danish star additionally scored two targets and offered one help in three Europa Convention League qualifiers, to go together with two targets in 4 home cup matches – taking his tally to 14 targets in all competitions.
These statistics counsel that Kvistgaarden would provide way more to Celtic, as each a finisher and a creator within the centre-forward place, to take advantage of the high-quality possibilities that Idah has been spurning within the Premiership.
Associated
Celtic submit big bid to signal “unimaginable” improve on Maeda at Parkhead
Celtic have already had a £10m bid turned down by the Premier League facet.
It’s now all the way down to Rodgers and the board to push for this deal to recover from the road earlier than Frankfurt have the possibility to swoop in and safe his providers this month.
