The January switch window formally slammed shut on Monday night time and it ended with one new signing added to the Celtic squad within the type of Jeffrey Schlupp.
Brendan Rodgers swooped to deliver the 32-year-old star in on mortgage from Premier League facet Crystal Palace till the tip of the season to bolster his choices in midfield and at left-back.
The Ghana worldwide got here off the bench to make his debut for the Hoops of their 6-0 win over Dundee at Parkhead within the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night time.
Celtic will, now, be hoping that the previous Premier League title-winner will show to be a superb addition to the group as they go looking for extra items of silverware within the second half of the season.
It was not an ideal deadline day, although, as some supporters could have been left annoyed by the dearth of a striker, after Kyogo Furuhashi moved on from Paradise.
Ligue 1 facet Rennes swooped in to signal the Japan worldwide on a everlasting deal final month, and the Hoops opted in opposition to changing him within the switch window, regardless of curiosity in Mathias Kvistgaarden.
Celtic’s failed pursuit of Mathias Kvistgaarden
The Scottish giants were interested in a deal to signal the Denmark U21 worldwide from Superliga facet Brondby within the January switch window, however they had been unable to strike an settlement to deliver him to Parkhead.
It was reported that the 2 groups had been in talks over a possible deal for the 22-year-old centre-forward, however these discussions reached an deadlock over their respective valuations of the striker.
Brondby reportedly valued their star ahead at a whopping £10m and Celtic seemingly determined that they weren’t prepared to spend that type of cash on the marksman on deadline day, or earlier than the final day of the window.
It might be comprehensible if any Hoops followers have been left annoyed by that as a result of Kvistgaarden has been in terrific kind within the Superliga this season.
The Danish sensation produced ten goals and seven assists in 28 appearances in all competitions for Brondby within the 2023/24 marketing campaign, and has stepped his recreation up this time round.
|
24/25 Superliga |
Mathias Kvistgaarden |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
15 |
|
Objectives |
10 |
|
Huge possibilities missed |
6 |
|
Conversion charge |
26% |
|
Assists |
4 |
As you may see within the desk above, Kvistgaarden has been in deadly kind within the Superliga this season, with ten objectives in 15 appearances, and has provided his group creativity on the prime finish of the pitch.
These statistics present that the £10m-rated Celtic goal had the potential to reach at Parkhead as a scientific, given his lack of ‘huge possibilities’ missed, striker who also can create possibilities for his teammates to seek out the again of the web.
Nevertheless, Rodgers might be able to unearth his personal model of Kvistgaarden by offeringJohnny Kenny the possibility to develop right into a first-team common within the second half of this season.
Johnny Kenny’s kind for Shamrock Rovers
The Eire U21 worldwide spent the 2023 and the 2024 campaigns on mortgage with Shamrock Rovers in his house nation and it went virtually in addition to Celtic might have hoped for.
Within the 2023 season, the then-teenager racked up five goals and four assists in 30 appearances within the Premier Division for the Irish facet, which was a strong, however unspectacular, return in entrance of aim.
The younger marksman returned to Shamrock Rovers for the 2024 marketing campaign and improved his output within the ultimate third with a return of 13 objectives and two assists in 18 starts within the Premier Division.
Kenny scored two goals in three Champions League qualifiers, together with the aim above, however that was not sufficient to forestall the group solely qualifying for the Convention League.
|
24/25 Convention League |
Johnny Kenny |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
6 |
|
xG |
3.78 |
|
Objectives |
5 |
|
Huge possibilities created |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
As you may see within the desk above, the 21-year-old striker was on hearth in Europe for Shamrock Rovers, showcasing his scientific ending by overperforming in opposition to his Anticipated Objectives tally.
General, Kenny scored 20 objectives in 27 begins throughout the Premier Division, the Convention League, and the Champions League qualifiers in 2024 for the Irish group, which reveals that the potential is there for him to be a dependable goalscorer at senior stage.
What ought to occur subsequent for Johnny Kenny
Celtic introduced him again to the membership at the beginning of January and built-in him into first-team coaching, at which level Idah and Kyogo had been each there and forward of him within the pecking order.
Now that the Japan worldwide has been bought to Rennes and the Hoops didn’t signal Kvistgaarden from Brondby, Kenny is the second-choice centre-forward behind Idah at this second in time.
Rodgers ought to, now, utilise Kenny because the back-up to the Eire worldwide within the second half of the season and provide him loads of possibilities, whether or not that be off the bench or as a starter when the ex-Norwich man wants a relaxation, to permit him to realize beneficial expertise in a Celtic shirt.
This subsequent three or 4 months needs to be used as time for the teenager to adapt to life within the Premiership and as a first-team participant for Celtic, hopefully offering him with the expertise required to kick on and hit the bottom working subsequent season.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Johnny Kenny |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
2 |
|
Minutes performed |
35 |
|
Objectives |
0 |
|
Huge possibilities created |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Dribbles accomplished |
1/2 |
As you may see within the desk above, Kenny has already made two substitute appearances for the Hoops within the Scottish top-flight and registered his first aim contribution with an help for Luke McCowan in opposition to Ross County final month.
After that second, the Celtic supervisor described him as “absolutely brilliant” and claimed that the younger attacker helped to energise the match for the group.
It’s now all the way down to the Eire U21 worldwide to maintain taking his possibilities after they come and to indicate Rodgers indicators that his improvement is on track, because it did throughout his two seasons with Shamrock Rovers.
Associated
86% duels won: Celtic ace has just rescued Lawwell’s Deadline Day disaster
Celtic didn’t get what they needed from their deadline day enterprise on Monday.
His kind for Celtic and Shamrock Rovers recommend that the potential is there for him to be a Kvistgaarden-esque ahead who can present scientific ending and creativity as a quantity 9, however it’s now all the way down to all events to work exhausting to make sure that the potential is fulfilled at Parkhead.
