Celtic want to sign £11m Kyogo replacement who could be Larsson 2.0
da dobrowin： After a very memorable trophy presentation day, Celtic’s summer plans are in full swing.
da betsul： Saturday’s clash was essentially a dead-rubber for the Parkhead side, with the title having already been secured weeks ago, but those in attendance will never forget James Forrest’s 94th minute equaliser, a sweet strike that means the one club man has now scored in 16 successive seasons for Celtic; it was celebrated like the winner in a Champions League final.
Brendan Rodgers’ side will conclude the campaign with Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final, firm favourites to beat Aberdeen at Hampden, having already smashed the Dons on three occasions this season, 6-0 in November, 5-1 in February and then 5-1 again last mid-week up at Pittodrie.
Now, are the four-in-a-row Scottish Premiership champions about to get even stronger, as they seek to sign one of Europe’s most highly-rated young strikers?
Celtic's continued striker search
According to a report from the Daily Record, Celtic are still very much interested in signing long-term target Mathias Kvistgaarden, after the 23-year-old confirmed he is set to leave Brøndby this summer.
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Speaking to the media in his homeland, the player noted: “I think I’m ready. I’ve made my mark at Brondby and in the Superliga, so I’m ready to take the next step.”
Back in January, Football Insider claimed that the Celts had an official bid rejected for Kvistgaarden, who is reportedly valued at £13.5m, with a report in Denmark noting that Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt have also ‘intensified’ their interest.
Could Kvistgaarden be Celtic's new Larsson?
Kvistgaarden took his tally to 23 goals for the season against Midtjylland on Monday night, making him the second-highest goalscorer in the Danish Superligaen this season, with just one round of fixtures to go.
So, could we see him in a Celtic jersey come next season?
Well, Kyōgo Furuhashi departed Celtic in January, joining Stade Rennais for a reported fee of £10m in January and no direct replacement was signed.
Adam Idah, who joined permanently from Norwich last summer, did step up, scoring 20 goals in all competitions, while player of the season Daizen Maeda was often deployed down the middle too, netting 33 times in total and picking up all the individual awards.
Nevertheless, a Kyōgo replacement is needed given that, according to Graeme Macpherson of the Scotsman, the Japanese star is Celtic’s best striker since Henrik Larsson, so let’s assess that assertion.
Selected Celtic strikers (1997-present)
Players
Games
Goals
Old Firm goals
Mins per goal
Kyōgo
165
85
8
126
Édouard
179
87
7
140
Dembélé
94
51
7
121
Griffiths
261
123
3
118
Hooper
138
82
5
136
McDonald
121
59
4
159
Hartson
198
105
6
143
Sutton
196
84
6
198
Larsson
292
224
15
113
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
The table underlines Kyōgo’s impressive statistics, even when compared to some of the greatest Celtic strikers of the modern era, most notably the king of kings himself, Larsson.
But how do the Japanese forward’s statistics compare to those of Kvistgaarden?
Kvistgaarden at Brøndby vs Kyōgo at Celtic
Statistics
Kvistgaarden
Kyōgo
Appearances
102
101
Minutes
6,323
10,741
Goals
43
85
Mins per goal
164
126
Assists
17
19
Shots on target %
48.8%
45.5%
Shots per 90
3.14
3.34
Shots on target per 90
1.53
1.52
Big chances missed
32
69
Note: Kvistgaarden’s statistics are 2022/23-present.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com and SofaScore
As the table outlines, Kvistgaarden’s numbers do compare favourably, having taken his game to another level this season, underlined by his very impressive figure of a goal every 107 minutes.
Chris Beaumont of Total Football Analysis describes him as a ‘quick and agile striker’, with Scout António Mango asserting that he is “absolutely sensational”.
Meantime, Farzam Abolhosseini of Tipsbladet labels him “magical”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout believes that the 23-year-old is “only getting better”.
Thus, it is clear that the young Dane would be an astonishingly excellent signing for Celtic, if they’re able to get the deal over the line of course, boasting the potential to be the Hoops’ best centre-forward since a certain fellow-Scandinavian striker.
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