Celtic have opened talks to land £8.6m star who’d be a lethal Kuhn partner

Celtic endured a difficult first half of the 2023/24 campaign and Brendan Rodgers will be hoping for more success during the second half of the season.

The Northern Irish head coach was brought in to replace Ange Postecoglou last summer after the Australian tactician opted to secure a move to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur.

He won the domestic treble with the Hoops last term and that was always going to be a tough act for Rodgers to follow, which proved to be the case when his side were knocked out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock in August.

The Bhoys also finished rock bottom of their Champions League group, with one win, and do not have European football to look forward to over the next five months.

However, the January transfer window opened for business at the start of last week and this has provided the club with a chance to bolster their squad in order to achieve success (trophies) between now and May.

Celtic transfer news – Mathias Kvistgaarden and Nicolas Kuhn

According to Football Insider, Celtic have opened talks with Danish side Brondby over a potential deal to sign Mathias Kvistgaarden this month.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are ‘working’ on a possible transfer for the talented young number nine, who has been in impressive form for his side.

Football Insider add that Rodgers is keen to improve his squad during the January transfer window and has identified centre-forward, central midfield, and left wing as the three positions that he would like to strengthen in.

However, the outlet does not reveal whether or not Brondby are open to cashing in on the superb youngster or how much they would demand for his services.

TipsBladet previously reported, though, that it could take a fee within the region of €10m (£8.6m) for Celtic to acquire his services in January.

The Hoops are also closing in on the signing of Rapid Wien forward Nicolas Kuhn in a deal reported to be worth around £2.8m to add to their options on the wing.

FootballScotland reporter Mark Hendry has claimed that the Scottish giants are waiting for Wien to land a replacement for the attacker before they are able to press ahead and finalise the move. He is expected to be in Glasgow next week to officially complete his switch to Parkhead.

Rodgers could now land a lethal partner for Kuhn by securing a deal to bring Kvistgaarden to the club alongside him ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Nicolas Kuhn’s season in numbers

The £2.8m-rated whiz is a terrific creative threat who has the quality to consistently unlock opposition defences with his passing and crossing.

He has been in terrific form in the Austrian top-flight for Wien this season and Celtic will be hoping that he is able to translate his performances over to Scottish football in the months and years to come.

As you can see in the table above, Rodgers’ current set of wide options for the right flank – with Luis Palma locking down the left side as his own – are not outstanding from a creative perspective.

Whereas, Kuhn has caught the eye with five assists, 11 ‘big chances’ created, and 1.8 key passes per game across 16 Bundesliga appearances this term. He has also produced one goal and two assists in three cup matches for Wien.

This shows that the 24-year-old attacker, who has also completed 3.1 dribbles per match in the league, is able to create high-quality opportunities on a regular basis from the right flank.

The soon-to-be Hoops forward scored 24 goals in 35 appearances for RB Leipzig at U17 level during his youth career and Rodgers could look to unearth his scoring potential, which has not shone through in the first-team at Wien as of yet – with seven goals in 51 outings.

The statistics that show why Celtic should sign Kvistgaarden

Celtic could now land a lethal partner for Kuhn in the final third by securing a deal to sign Kvistgaarden from Brondby before the end of the month.

The 21-year-old whiz has been in fantastic form for the Danish outfit since the start of the Superligaen Championship Round towards the end of last season.

Since the start of that round, the Denmark U21 international has plundered an eye-catching 13 goals and 11 assists in 30 appearances in all competitions, which included six goals and four assists in nine outings in the Championship Round.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed the talented forward as being “on fire” earlier this season, and it is not hard to see why when you look at his aforementioned statistics over the last eight months or so.

As you can see in the table above, the Hoops target showcased his potential at youth level and is now starting to show off his quality in senior football.

He has the ability to chip in with goals and assists at an impressive rate and still has plenty of time left to develop and improve at the age of 21, which means that Celtic could sign him to make an immediate impact whilst also being a long-term project.

Kvistgaarden could be a lethal partner for Kuhn to link up with at Parkhead as they could help to get the best out of each other this season, and in future seasons.

The Danish ace has a goalscoring record that suggests he has the finishing skills to make the most of the winger’s creativity, whilst the Brondby star has also displayed an eye for a pass with 11 assists in his last 30 games and could, therefore, get Kuhn back on the goal trail.

These aforementioned statistics show why Rodgers must push for the club to get deals over the line for both players before the end of the window, as they could add more firepower to his attacking options.