Celtic are currently on course to enjoy a phenomenal season across all competitions in Brendan Rodgers’ second campaign at the club since his return in the summer of 2023.
The Northern Irish head coach won the SFA Cup and the Scottish Premiership title in his first year back, but was knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages and failed to win the League Cup.
Celtic have already lifted the League Cup this term, beating Rangers on penalties last month, and are in position to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League heading into their last two matches in the league phase.
This means that the Hoops have the chance to enjoy even more success this time around than they did last season, if they can maintain their current form across all competitions.
Rodgers has been helped by the summer business done by the club ahead of this term, with the likes of Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, and Luke McCowan, among others, all coming in.
However, it is one of his January recruits from the transfer window last year who has stepped up to star for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign so far.
Nicolas Kuhn's form this season
Rodgers swooped to sign Nicolas Kuhn from Austrian side Rapid Vienna in January 2024 on a permanent deal and he had the first five months or so to settle into life in Glasgow.
The German forward contributed with two goals and two assists in 14 league appearances during the second half of that season, which shows that the winger did not hit the ground running as a consistent star for the Hoops.
However, after that initial adaptation period and a pre-season, Kuhn has been on fire for Celtic across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, with his ability as a scorer and a creator of goals making him a crucial player for Rodgers.
The 24-year-old wizard has racked up an amazing return of 16 goals and 11 assists in 27 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, which means that he has averaged a goal or an assist every match.
He has been particularly impressive in the Premiership, scoring twice in the recent 3-0 win over St Mirren, as a consistent threat in the final third for the league leaders.
Starts
14
Goals
9
Big chances created
8
Key passes per game
2.1
Assists
6
As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has produced more goals and ‘big chances’ created combined than he has managed league starts for Celtic, which speaks to how much quality the winger has provided at the top end of the pitch.
The left-footed star has now laid out the blueprint for how to conduct a successful January signing when bringing in a young player from abroad, as he needed a few months to adapt before being able to hit the ground running this season.
Rodgers could sign his next Kuhn by swooping to sign one of Celtic’s current transfer targets in a similar move to the one that brought the German to Parkhead last year.
Celtic's interest in wing wizard
Last month, Norwegian sports outlet Nettavisen reported that Celtic are one of the teams interested in a swoop for Sarpsborg attacker Sondre Orjasaeter in the January transfer window.
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The Hoops are keen to secure a deal to sign the Norway U21 international to bolster their options on the left flank, although there was no mention of how much the Norwegian side want for his services.
Orjasaeter is valued at £5m by Transfermarkt and that may provide some insight into the kind of fee that could be needed to land his signature ahead of the second half of the season.
Rodgers is reportedly eager to bring in a new left winger to compete with Daizen Maeda for a place in the starting line-up, and the Sarpsborg attacker fits the bill as a right-footed forward who predominantly plays on the left side of the attack.
Celtic could, now, repeat the masterclass they played with Kuhn last year by swooping for another young winger from abroad in a January transfer window.
Why Celtic should sign Sondre Orjasaeter
Like the German magician, Orjasaeter is a young talent with potential to grow and develop over the years to come, as he only turned 21 in November.
This means that expectations can be low at first, as they were when Kuhn failed to immediately produce consistent performances, and the winger could use the second half of this season to settle in and adjust to life in Scotland before, hopefully, pushing on next term.
The Sarpsborg starlet being a right-footed left winger also means that he can play on the opposite side to the current Celtic ace and Rodgers could have two mercurial talents on either flank, if the club can keep hold of Kuhn in the summer.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once described the youngster as an “interesting” player and his form in the Eliteserien backs that up, as he has been in impressive form for a player of his age.
Appearances
28
Goals
5
Big chances missed
5
Assists
5
Big chances created
12
Dribbles completed per game
2.4
As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter has contributed with ten goals and assists in 28 appearances in the league this season, which shows that he can provide quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
The £5m-rated star should have more assists to his name but his teammates have let him down at times with their wasteful finishing, scoring five times from 12 ‘big chances’ created.
These statistics suggest that the foundation is there for Orjasaeter to be developed into Celtic’s next version of Kuhn, as he has the ability to score and create goals but needs to find more consistency in his end product in the final third.
This is why Rodgers must push for the board to get a deal over the line for the promising young talent before the end of the January transfer window.
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