Late Celtic deal for “prolific” star is now “on the cards”, just imagine him & Kyogo – opinion

Late Celtic deal for “prolific” star is now “on the cards”, just imagine him & Kyogo – opinion

The January transfer window closes on Thursday, and Celtic might have a hectic few days before the deadline.

Brendan Rodgers witnessed his side squeak a 1-0 win over Ross County in their Scottish Premiership return on Saturday, thanks to Alistair Johnston’s first-minute strike.

The Hoops enjoyed 70% possession of the ball and 17 shots on goal but were unable to score despite a remarkable start, with Luis Palma’s missed penalty in the 28th minute contributing to their failure.

Nicolas Kuhn, recruited from Rapid Wien earlier this month, came off the bench to make his debut for the Bhoys but he may not be the last attacking addition to the squad before the window slams shut.

Vs Ross County	Nicolas Kuhn (via Sofascore)
Minutes played	26
Key passes	Zero
Dribbles completed	One
Pass accuracy	69%

According to Football Insider, Rodgers wants to add another number nine to his team, as well as a left-back and goalkeeper.

Celtic’s Search for a Striker

Celtic’s quest for a striker appears to be coming to an end, as they have identified the son of one of their former centre-forwards, Pierre van Hooijdonk, as a potential candidate.

According to Sky Sports writer Anthony Joseph, Sydney van Hooijdonk intends to leave Serie A team Bologna before the end of the transfer window.

According to the journalist, the Hoops have been tracking the Dutch teenager for’some time’ and are looking to add another striker to their squad.

However, he did clarify that the Scottish club had not made contact with Bologna about signing the 23-year-old striker at this time.

Meanwhile, TNT analyst Paul Dempsey stated on Saturday evening, as reported by the Daily Record, that the youthful attacker’s move to Parkhead is “on the cards”.

 

He was on duty for Bologna’s Serie A encounter against AC Milan and noticed that van Hooijdonk was not in the Italian side’s matchday squad, implying that a move to Scotland was on the cards.

But that remains to be seen how close a deal is or how much the Bhoys would be willing to pay for his services, and if it is enough to tempt the Serie A team into cashing in on him.

If Rodgers can sign van Hooijdonk before the deadline on Thursday, the Northern Irish manager might find an interesting partner for Kyogo Furuhashi,

as well as competition for the Japan international at the top of the pitch.

Kyogo’s decrease in form under Rodgers.

The 29-year-old forward had a great 2022/23 season under Ange Postecoglou, establishing himself as a star for the Scottish giants.

Kyogo scored 27 goals and two assists in 36 Premiership games for the club, including 31 starts, demonstrating his goal-scoring ability on a consistent basis.

His spectacular performance in front of goal earned him the PFA Scotland Men’s Player of the Year accolade,

demonstrating that the striker’s peers  recognised and respected his quality

He scored 34 goals and five assists in 50 matches in all competitions for Celtic, a goal every 1.47 outing on average,

as the club won a domestic treble under the Australian coach.

Postecoglou left Parkhead last summer and was replaced in the dugout by Rodgers for his second term,

and Kyogo appears to have suffered as a result of this change.

The Japan international has 11 goals and three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops this season, averaging one strike per 2.82 games.

That is a startling drop in form for the seasoned centre-forward, who has not been able to duplicate or kick on from his goalscoring exploits last term.

Kyogo’s Premiership form (via Sofascore)	22/23	23/24
Appearances	36	23
Goals	27	Eight
Big chances missed	16	12
Minutes per goal	86	201

As shown in the table above, the Hoops striker has underperformed in comparison to his outstanding achievements during the 2022/23 season.

The signing of van Hooijdonk might benefit Kyogo by giving him significant competition for his spot,

increasing his motivation, and potentially providing him with a terrific teammate in the final third.

The statistics that demonstrate why Celtic should sign van Hooijdonk.

The 23-year-old whiz has struggled to make an impact in Italy this season,

with only one goal in 11 games for Bologna, but has previously demonstrated his talent in the Netherlands.

Van Hooijdonk, once regarded as “prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig,

spent 18 months on loan with Heerenveen in the Eredivisie,

from January 2022 until the summer of 2023, and impressed in front of goal.

The Dutch finisher scored six goals and wasted only three ‘great opportunities’ in 13 top-flight games in the second half of the 2021/22 season.

Career at NAC Breda (via Transfermarkt)
Van Hooijdonk	U19	U21	First-team
Appearances	41	16	70
Goals	35	Seven	23
Assists	Two	Zero	Four

He followed up his initial five months on loan with a fantastic return of 16 goals,

with only 10 ‘great opportunities’ wasted, in 30 Eredivisie starts for Heereveen during the next year.

Overall, van Hooijdonk scored 22 goals and missed only 13 ‘great opportunities’ in 43 league appearances on loan with the Dutch club, averaging one goal every 1.95 starts.

This means that the Celtic target has the potential to provide more in front of goal than Kyogo has so far this season,

given his form for Heerenveen during the previous 18 months was superior to what the current Hoops ace has produced in the Premiership.

Van Hooijdonk may be an excellent partner for the Japanese dynamo as he excels where the 29-year-old struggles – in aerial contests with defenders

He won 2.0 aerial duels per game in the Eredivisie last season,

with a success rate of 45%, whereas Kyogo won 0.2 per game, with a success rate of 20%, this season.

The £7.6k-per-week striker could thus provide a physical outlet at the top end of the pitch,

allowing the current Celtic striker to play off and around him without having to worry about physical duels with towering Scottish defenders,

freeing him up to focus on improving his output in front of goal.

This may make them an interesting tandem for Rodgers in the last third,

as well as terrific competition for each other to drive up the standards in training and on matchdays.

Get more related news on https://dailysportnews.co.uk