Celtic appear to be closing in on a deal to secure their first signing of the January transfer window, which opened for business at the start of last week.
Celtic transfer news – Nicolas Kuhn
FootballScotland reporter Mark Hendry claims that the Hoops "expect to land" Rapid Wien forward Nicolas Kuhn before the end of the month.
The journalist adds that Brendan Rodgers would also like to bring in another centre-forward and a left-back to bolster his squad over the next few weeks.
On top of this, The Scottish Sun have revealed that talks are already underway between the two clubs, and further discussions over a move for the exciting winger are expected.
Rodgers could now unlock Kyogo Furuhashi by securing a swoop for the Wien playmaker, who The Scottish Sun previously claimed is valued at around £2m.
Kyogo's season in numbers
The Japan international has struggled in front of goal so far this season with a return of eight goals in 22 Scottish Premiership appearances.
He has found the back of the net once every 190 minutes of top-flight action for the Hoops and has not been anywhere near as prolific as last term.
Kyogo plundered an incredible 27 goals in 31 Premiership starts throughout the 2022/23 campaign, which is an average of one strike every 86 minutes.
Appearances
36
22
Goals
27
Eight
Big chances missed
16
12
Shots outside of the box
Six
13
As you can see in the table above, the Celtic star has taken over twice as many shots from range already this season – in 14 fewer appearances – and this suggests that he has not had enough service within the box.
The statistics that show why Kuhn could unlock Kyogo
The Hoops now appear to be closing in on a player who could create high-quality opportunities for the forward on a regular basis as Kuhn has showcased his creativity on a regular basis this term.
During the 2023/24 campaign, the 24-year-old whiz has made 16 appearances in the Bundesliga for Rapid Wien and caught the eye with five assists, 11 'big chances' created, and 1.8 key passes per match.
Appearances
17
Six
17
15
Assists
Two
One
One
Zero
Big chances created
Four
Two
Three
One
Key passes per game
0.5
0.7
0.8
0.6
As you can see from the table above, Rodgers' current options on the right of his front three have not been outstanding creators at the top end of the pitch to create good opportunities for Kyogo week-in-week-out.
Whereas, Luis Palma on the left flank has produced nine assists, 11 'big chances' created, and 3.1 key passes per game in 17 Premiership outings.
Meanwhile, the reported Hoops target has provided more assists, more 'big chances' created, and more key passes per match than Maeda, Abada, Yang, and Forrest in league action.
This suggests that Kuhn, who UEFA licensed coach @Inverthewing on X claimed is "dominating" at Wien, could be a major upgrade on the club's current right-sided attackers as a creative outlet.
If the German wizard can translate his current performances over to football in Scotland then he would be a fantastic signing who could unlock Kyogo by providing the striker with far more 'big chances' inside the box to get back to his prolific best.
The Japan international is currently being forced to take on too many shots from distance and it has clearly had a negative impact on his output in front of goal, which is why Rodgers needs a better creator to play on the right and that is exactly what Kuhn could be.
