Celtic “expect to land” deal for “dominating” £2m gem, he could unlock Kyogo

Harry Burner | January 11, 2024 | Celtic | No Comments

The Hoops are reportedly in talks to secure a transfer for the exciting forward.

With the January transfer market opening at the beginning of the week, Celtic looks to be nearing an agreement to sign their first player.
According to Mark Hendry of FootballScotland, the Hoops “expect to land” Nicolas Kuhn, a forward for Rapid Wien, before the end of the month.

In order to strengthen his team over the coming weeks, the journalist continues, Brendan Rodgers would also like to recruit a left-back and another center-forward.

Furthermore, The Scottish Sun has disclosed that negotiations have already started between the two teams, and more talks regarding a transfer for the dynamic winger are anticipated.

Kyogo Furuhashi Cup: Asia-Pacific’s Celtic Cup
By making a move for the Wien playmaker, who The Scottish Sun previously stated is valued at about £2 million, Rodgers might now free up Kyogo Furuhashi.

Kyogo’s season in numbers

With just eight goals in 22 Scottish Premiership games this season, the Japan international has struggled in front of goal.

He has only scored for the Hoops once every 190 minutes of top-flight play, and his production has not been quite as high as it was this season.

Kyogo’s drop-off in form (via Sofascore)
Scottish Premiership	22/23	23/24
Appearances	36	22
Goals	27	Eight
Big chances missed	16	12
Shots outside of the box	Six	13

During the 2022–2023 Premier League season, Kyogo scored an astounding 27 goals in 31 starts, or one goal every 86 minutes.
The Celtic star has taken over twice as many shots from range this season, in 14 fewer appearances, as you can see in the table above. This indicates that he has not received enough support inside the box.

The statistics that show why Kuhn could unlock Kyogo

Given that Kuhn has consistently shown his inventiveness this season, the Hoops now seem to be closing down on a player who may regularly generate excellent opportunities for the attacker.

The 24-year-old wizard has made 16 appearances for Rapid Wien in the Bundesliga during the 2023–24 season, grabbing attention with five assists, eleven “big chances” produced, and 1.8 crucial passes per game.

Creative output of current Celtic right wingers (via Sofascore)
23/24 Scottish Premiership	Daizen Maeda	Liel Abada	Hyun-jun Yang	James Forrest
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

The table above illustrates this point: Rodgers’ current front-three alternatives to the right of him have not shown to be particularly effective creators at the top of the pitch to provide Kyogo with decent opportunities every week.

On the other hand, in 17 Premiership games, left-winger Luis Palma has generated nine assists, eleven “big chances” created, and 3.1 critical passes per game.

In league play, the rumored Hoops target has outperformed Maeda, Abada, Yang, and Forrest in terms of assists, “big chances” produced, and crucial passes made each game.

Yang—celtic—premiership—Haksabanovic—Rodgers—transfer
This implies that Kuhn, who according to UEFA-licensed coach @Inverthewing on X is “dominating” at Wien, might be a significant improvement as a creative outlet over the team’s existing right-sided attackers.

The German magician would be a terrific addition if he could carry over his present form into Scottish football. By giving Kyogo more “big chances” inside the box, he may help the striker return to his peak of prolificity.

Rodgers needs a better playmaker to play on the right, and Kuhn fits the bill. The Japan international is currently being pushed to take up too many long-range shots, which is obviously having a negative influence on his performance in front of goal.

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