CELTIC have now signed three players in the summer transfer window.
And you can bet Brendan Rodgers won’t let it stop there.
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Today the Premiership champions unveiled their latest addition, attacking midfielder Benji Nygren.
He joins the returning Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan as arrivals at Parkhead and SunSport looks at what may still be to come from the club as the window continues.
We also analyse how Nygren will fit into the Hoops’ line-up with his versatility giving Rodgers food for thought.
But Nicolas Kuhn could be on his way OUT and there are questions over fringe players like Johnny Kenny, and defensive rock Cameron Carter-Vickers.
BENJAMIN NYGREN
I think it’s a great piece of business.
He’s a player who has clearly done a lot in his career so far, he’s broken into the Sweden squad, recently scored goals for Sweden, he was really good in Denmark last year with 16 goals and can play as an attacking midfielder, number 10, number 8 or off a wing, even play up front as well.
Reading Brendan Rodgers‘ quotes on him, he felt he was a quality player and I think that’s what Celtic are getting in Benjamin Nygren, and for an absolute steal at the price.
The big thing for me is he’s a guy who I would look at and think he’ll immediately come in and improve Celtic, this is no project, this is no squad player, this is a guy who will come in and play for Celtic and I think Celtic have pulled off a real transfer coup by getting him.
He was very open in that he was ready to leave Denmark and move and he spoke about wanting to play under big pressure, wanting to compete for trophies, wanting to play in the Champions League, wanting to play in front of big crowds in a big stadium.
Celtic, in that sense, tick every box.
They still have this Champions League play-off to try and get through but I can imagine Celtic sells itself to an extent.
For someone like him, who maybe wasn’t going to get a top four, top five Bundesliga club, he’s probably in that stage in his career where he wants to make a next step and just experience a bit more and gain better experience especially at European level.
Brendan Rodgers is a manager who can develop players, who can help them progress and grow and I think it’s a perfect fit for everybody.
I wonder whether Celtic will play him as more of an attacking midfielder, maybe a Matt O’Reilly type replacement, that kind of idea.
He can clearly score goals, I think what he’s also got about him is a bit of personality, he was captain of Nordsjaelland last year, I think that will help.
ROSS DOOHAN
Ross Doohan comes in and what you’re getting a guy who’s just made his Scotland debut, he’s knows the club, a really, really good addition to the goalkeeping area.
You’ve got Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo and now Ross Doohan, I think that made perfect sense.
NICOLAS KUHN
We had the story about RB Leipzig, it then came out that Red Bull obviously want to take him back to Germany, in Italy it’s emerged that Como, Cesc Fabregas’ side are also very keen to bring him over to Serie A.
Look he’s a player who had a brilliant probably first six, seven months of the season last year, he did tail off, that’s undeniable, however what a talented player.
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When we talk about Celtic’s transfer model, this is a signing for about £3million that they could potentially make five, six times their money on him if he was to go this summer.
However it has to be on Celtic’s terms. It would probably be an attractive proposition for him to go back to Leipzig where it all kind of started for him over in Germany and might feel that that’s a better chance for him to work his way into the German national squad which is one of his career ambitions, especially ahead of the World Cup next year.
But Celtic have got a long term deal, the terms have to be right if they are going to sell and it has to be right for everybody. Now if Nicolas Kuhn does want to go and makes it clear to Brendan Rodgers he wants to go, I don’t think Brendan Rodgers will stand in his way, you saw that with Kyogo in January.
If Como are now in for him, that’s maybe a win-win for Celtic because you always want more interest in players in terms of the transfer phase, so we’ll see how that one progresses over the next few weeks.
My gut feeling is come the end of the transfer window Nicolas Kuhn won’t be a Celtic player, but where he’ll end up? I would probably say Leipzig are favourites right now, but we’ll just see how it pans out.
JOHNNY KENNY OUT, SHIN YAMADA IN?
I suppose based on his form this season you would maybe scratch your head and think why would you be interested?
But you need to look back to last season, his goal return last season which was outstanding in the J League, 19 goals.
I think he is also one that, don’t be fooled by his lack of experience at 25, it’s the Japanese system you go through university, if you look at the profile of him, he is pretty quick, strong, stocky, seems very suited to European football, very suited to Scottish football and I think it’s also quite interesting in that the fee wouldn’t be huge.
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Celtic got Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda and even Kyogo was a wee bit more at about £4million but all of them were still good value.
I know Celtic have been scouting Japan and they are looking at Hayato Inamura as well from Nigata, a central defender, but I think he would certainly be one with a night in the future if that happens.
In terms of Yamada, to me he is a guy who could suit Scottish football and I can understand why.
But it’s not just Celtic, there are European clubs looking at him because I think he is a player who seems ready for a move to Europe and I think he is a guy who for a relatively low fee could certainly do a job.
With this in mind, I do wonder about Johnny Kenny.
I know there has been interest and Celtic need to probably decide what they are going to do with him.
Is it a loan, do you take any permanent offer that comes in for him?
MICHEL-ANGE BALIKWISHA AND SONDRE ORJASAETER
Balikwisha is certainly one that’s been watched and I think he’s only got a year left in his deal, he’s had a lot of injury problems, he’s a player that Celtic have liked for a while.
I wonder whether the fee that Antwerp are looking for just now, whether it’s Celtic or other interested parties, will start to go down towards the end of the window.
I think they’re asking for, according to colleagues in Belgium, 5 million euros and that’s maybe a bit steep given his contract situation and his injury record.
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So I will keep watching that and with Orjasaeter, he’s also been linked with PSV and he’s clearly a player of potential, of quality, however I think you would maybe look at that one and have to ask what the interest actually is, and what else is going on, as Celtic have reportedly been looking at him in other windows but nothing has happened.
I just wonder how that will pan out over the course of the next couple of months, especially if there’s major interest from PSV at a certain level.
CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS
He’s so important and I actually think what will help Cameron Carter-Vickers get into this season is he didn’t have to go away with America, he was able to get a proper rest after the Scottish Cup final and I think with a strong pre-season, injury free, that will do him the world of good.
I expect another strong season from Cameron Carter-Vickers, I don’t expect him to be on the sale agenda, I think he’ll be at Celtic for the foreseeable future.
He’s the number one central defender there, he’s such an important player for Brendan Rodgers and the club.
It’s just a case of who partners him.
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