Celtic forward Nicolas Kuhn has enjoyed a terrific start to the 2024/25 campaign and has emerged as the star of the show since Matt O’Riley’s move to the Premier League.
At the start of the year, Brendan Rodgers swooped to sign the German forward from Rapid Vienna for a reported fee of £3m to bolster his wide options ahead of the second half of the season.
Kuhn, however, needed the rest of that term to adapt to life in Scotland. He managed a fairly unspectacular return of two goals and two assists in 14 appearances in the Scottish Premiership.
After having time to settle in, and a pre-season to get himself ready for the season, the 24-year-old has starred across all competitions this season.
Nicolas Kuhn’s form for Celtic
The left-footed magician has contributed with ten goals and 11 assists in 17 appearances in all competitions, which is more than one goal contribution per game on average.
Kuhn has scored one goal and provided two assists in three outings in the Champions League this term, whilst he has also thrived in the Premiership.
24/25 Premiership | Nicolas Kuhn |
|---|---|
Starts | 8 |
Sofascore rating | 7.69 |
Goals | 4 |
Assists | 6 |
Key passes per game | 2.2 |
As you can see in the table above, the former Bayern Munich and Ajax youngster has been a fantastic scorer and creator of goals in the top-flight.
These statistics show that Celtic played a masterclass by signing Kuhn in January to give him the second half of the season to adapt, allowing him to hit the ground running this term.
Rodgers could repeat the blinder he played with the 24-year-old Hoops star by swooping for Royal Antwerp wizard Michel-Ange Balikwisha in the January transfer window.
Why Celtic should sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha
In the summer, it was reported that Celtic were set to hold talks with Antwerp over a potential deal to bring the winger to Parkhead ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, but a move never materialised.
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He has been out with a ‘knock’ since August, missing 14 matches so far, and that injury blow may have been why the Hoops did not go ahead with a summer swoop.
This means that he has not played much football this season, with one appearance in the Pro League, and may need time to get back up to speed, which is why bringing him in midway through the campaign to get used to the country and league could be beneficial.
Belgian outlet Gazet van Antwerpen, via the Daily Record, recently claimed that the forward wants to move on in January and is set to be available for a fee of £7.5m.
Celtic must now revive their interest in Balikwisha and repeat their Kuhn masterclass by signing another winger in the winter window, as it would allow the 23-year-old to adjust to life in Glasgow before kicking on next season.
23/24 Pro League | Michel-Ange Balikwisha |
|---|---|
Starts | 27 |
Goals | 7 |
Big chances created | 6 |
Assists | 5 |
Tackles + interceptions per game | 3.1 |
As you can see in the table above, the Belgian wizard, who predominantly plays on the left flank, provided quality as a scorer and a creator of goals in the Pro League last term.
Balikwisha, who was hailed as one of a number of “incredible” young talents by U23 scout Antonio Mango, produced more goals and more assists than Daizen Maeda, who managed six goals and three assists, did on the left flank in the Premiership last term.
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This suggests that Celtic could bring the young dynamo to Parkhead in January and potentially develop him into being a Maeda upgrade, hopefully following in Kuhn’s footsteps from a development perspective.
