Celtic hit gold with a star whose value soared £5.5m

The January switch window formally slammed shut on Monday evening final week and Celtic ended it with two new additions to their first-team squad.

Brendan Rodgers swooped to signal Ghana worldwide Jeffrey Schlupp on mortgage from Premier League facet Crystal Palace to supply cowl at left-back, and he began within the 5-0 win over Raith Rovers on Saturday.

The Hoops had already introduced Jota again to the membership on a everlasting deal from Rennes earlier within the window, 18 months on from his transfer to Al-Ittihad from the Scottish giants.

Celtic’s Portuguese whiz could have a struggle on his arms to safe a spot within the beginning line-up in the course of the second half of the season, although, because of the type of Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn.

Kuhn has racked up 17 targets and 12 assists in 34 appearances in all competitions for the Glasgow giants this time period on the appropriate flank, which has nailed down his place within the XI for now.

In the meantime, Maeda has stepped up this season and improved his output on the prime finish of the pitch, to make himself a key determine within the Celtic assault.

Daizen Maeda’s kind this season

The Japan worldwide managed ten targets and 4 assists in 36 appearances in all competitions underneath Rodgers for the Hoops within the 2023/24 marketing campaign.

We’re solely in February of the next season and the 27-year-old ahead has already surpassed his tally of each targets and assists within the present season, with a return of 21 targets and eight assists in all competitions.

Maeda hit the 20-goal mark together with his hat-trick towards Raith Rovers within the SFA Cup fifth spherical on Saturday, as he lined up as a centre-forward handy Adam Idah a well-earned relaxation.

The Japanese attacker has, now, produced a rare ten targets and one help in 5 home cup matches for the Scottish giants this time period, together with 4 in two SFA Cup outings.

Regardless of his distinctive aim return for the season as a complete, Maeda’s ending abilities within the Scottish Premiership have left a little bit bit to be desired.

As you possibly can see within the desk above, the skilled ahead has missed a whopping 14 ‘huge possibilities’, and scored eight, within the top-flight up to now this time period, which means that he might, nonetheless, enhance as a finisher within the division.

General, nevertheless, it’s arduous to argue together with his output throughout all competitions, with 21 targets at this stage of the season, and Rodgers will certainly be delighted with the majority of his performances in a Celtic shirt.

Maeda is within the prime years of his profession, now, and is at present valued at €8m (£6.6m) by Transfermarkt, which makes him one of the crucial useful gamers within the squad at this second in time.

Celtic’s most-valuable gamers

The Japanese marksman, regardless of all of his targets and assists this season, just isn’t essentially the most useful participant at Parkhead, although, as Cameron Carter-Vickers is valued at £11.6m by Transfermarkt.

Celtic’s American colossus, who has helped the group to 12 clear sheets in 19 Premiership appearances this time period, has been a constant presence on the coronary heart of the defence and is a vital member of the squad.

As you possibly can see within the desk above, his performances have led to him being valued above all of his present teammates, together with the likes of Arne Engels, Nicolas Kuhn, and, in fact, Maeda.

Celtic, nevertheless, offered a participant in January who would have been the second-most useful participant within the squad and price greater than Maeda, as they determined to money in on Kyogo Furuhashi.

Celtic struck gold with Kyogo Furuhashi

Again in the summertime of 2021, Ange Postecoglou swooped to signal the Japan worldwide from Vissel Kobe for a reported price of £4.5m, which turned out to be an unimaginable piece of enterprise.

Kyogo racked up 20 targets and 5 assists in 33 appearances in all competitions throughout his debut marketing campaign with the Scottish giants, competing with Giorgos Giakoumakis for a spot within the beginning line-up.

The Japanese marksman then hit his full stride in a Hoops shirt within the 2022/23 marketing campaign underneath the Australian head coach, with a staggering return of 34 targets and 5 assists in 50 matches.

Postecoglou’s exit from Celtic in the summertime of 2023 seemingly affected Kyogo’s output, nevertheless, because the ahead solely managed 19 targets and 5 assists in 50 matches in his first season with Rodgers on the helm.

The 30-year-old attacker then racked up 12 targets and 4 assists in 32 appearances for the Scottish giants within the first half of the present marketing campaign earlier than his everlasting transfer to Rennes.

As you possibly can see within the desk above, Kyogo was wasteful in entrance of aim within the Premiership this season, lacking a staggering 17 ‘huge possibilities’ on his option to ten targets, and that will have been why the Hoops had been open to permitting him to go away.

Rennes swooped in to safe his companies for a reported price of £10m final month, which is a valuation that’s solely bettered by Carter-Vickers within the present squad and one that’s larger than Maeda’s present market worth, regardless of his 21 targets this season.

Kyogo’s worth soared by £5.5m throughout his time with the Hoops, from the £4.5m they signed him for to the £10m Rennes paid for him, and this exhibits that Postecoglou hit the jackpot by signing him from Vissel Kobe.

Celtic loved his abilities in entrance of aim for a number of years and nonetheless managed to make a big revenue on a participant who entered his 30s this 12 months, which is why it was a chic little bit of enterprise to deliver him to the membership again in 2021.