Celtic moved 18 factors clear on the high of the Scottish Premiership desk on Saturday after a convincing 4-1 win over Ross County away from Glasgow.
The Hoops, who might transfer again to fifteen factors clear if Rangers win their recreation in hand on Sunday, had failed to attain of their earlier two away matches, shedding 3-0 to Rangers and drawing 0-0 with Dundee United.
Nonetheless, two objectives from Kyogo Furuhashi and stoppage time strikes from Arne Engels and Luke McCowan wrapped up all three factors for the Scottish giants, as they rediscovered their goalscoring contact on their travels.
Goalscoring has been removed from a significant difficulty for Celtic over the course of the Premiership season, although, because the Hoops have fired in 61 goals in 22 matches.
No different workforce has scored greater than 38 objectives within the division and this speaks to how deadly and thrilling Brendan Rodgers‘ workforce have been within the Scottish top-flight this time period.
Regardless of that, the Northern Irish head coach is reportedly nonetheless potential additions to come back in and bolster his attacking choices forward of the second half of the 2024/25 marketing campaign.
Celtic in talks to signal new ahead
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, Celtic are all in favour of a deal to signal Sarpsborg winger Sondre Ojrasaeter within the January switch window, which opened for enterprise nearly two weeks in the past.
The reporter reveals that the Hoops are in talks with the Norwegian outfit to debate a possible switch for the younger ahead, as Rodgers plots a transfer to land another choice within the broad areas.
Joseph claims that the Premiership champions made contact with Sarpsborg early on in December and so they have now progressed into talks over a deal to deliver the attacker to Parkhead this month.
He provides, although, that there’s additionally curiosity from golf equipment in France and Italy and that implies that the Hoops might face some critical competitors for his signature, in the event that they go forward with an official provide to land the 21-year-old starlet.
Joseph doesn’t, nevertheless, reveal how a lot Sarpsborg are set to demand for the younger gem, who’s valued at round £5m by Transfermarkt, so it stays to be seen how viable a deal is for Celtic from a monetary perspective.
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The Bhoys ought to comply with up on these talks to safe a swoop for the Norway U21 worldwide, although, as he’s an extremely proficient younger participant who might are available in as an ideal signing for Kyogo, who simply added two objectives to his tally for the season on Saturday.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s kind this season
It has been removed from an ideal season for the Japan worldwide however you at all times know that the 29-year-old star goes to supply a risk on the high finish of the pitch, whether or not that interprets to objectives or not.
The opening purpose of the sport in opposition to Ross County was Kyogo at his greatest. Alistair Johnston whipped a ball throughout the field and the Japanese ahead was the primary one there to prod it into the again of the online from shut vary, illustrating his motion and his instincts in entrance of purpose.
He ended the match with two goals and two ‘large possibilities’ missed, which type of sums up his season for Celtic. The Hoops quantity eight presents an honest purpose risk however has usually been wasteful with the high-quality alternatives that his teammates have created for him.
24/25 Premiership |
Kyogo Furuhashi |
---|---|
Appearances |
21 |
Objectives |
10 |
Large possibilities missed |
17 |
Large possibilities created |
0 |
Assists |
3 |
As you possibly can see within the desk above, Kyogo has missed seven extra ‘large possibilities’ than he has scored objectives within the Premiership, which reveals that he has not made the many of the creativity that his teammates have supplied him with.
That’s additional illustrated by his xG tally being 14.03 within the league this time period, because it reveals that he has underperformed his anticipated purpose return by 4 strikes.
Nonetheless, it does present that Kyogo persistently places himself in positions to generate high-quality possibilities and get on the top of passes and crosses within the field, which is why the Japanese ace could possibly be excellent for Orjasaeter.
What Sondre Orjasaeter might deliver to Celtic
The Norway U21 worldwide, who was nicknamed “the artist” by former Wolves star Håvard Flo, is a artistic winger who has the standard to interrupt opposition defences right down to create large alternatives for his teammates on the high finish of the pitch.
Daizen Maeda has been Celtic’s first-choice on the left flank for almost all of the season up to now, starting 17 times within the Premiership, however creating possibilities just isn’t his greatest power on the wing.
The Japan worldwide has created five ‘big chances’ within the league this time period, after creating 5 in 28 league outings within the 2023/24 marketing campaign, and this reveals that the winger doesn’t present ‘large possibilities’ to his fellow forwards frequently.
Whereas, Orjasaeter’s performances for Sarpsborg within the 2024 Eliteserien season recommend that he might are available in to supply excess of Maeda as a artistic presence within the last third.
In truth, scout Matthew Rowley not too long ago described the £5m-rated star as a “creative” and “technical” player who could possibly be efficient at breaking down low blocks, which is backed up by his statistics from final 12 months.
2024 Eliteserien |
Sondre Orjasaeter |
---|---|
Appearances |
28 |
Objectives |
5 |
Large possibilities created |
12 |
Key passes |
53 |
Assists |
5 |
As you possibly can see within the desk above, Orjasaeter ended the marketing campaign with a whopping 53 key passes and 12 ‘large possibilities’ created in his 28 league appearances, two extra ‘large possibilities’ supplied than Maeda has managed within the final two Premiership seasons mixed.
These statistics recommend that the winger could be excellent for Kyogo as a result of he can persistently break down opposition defences to create high-quality alternatives in entrance of purpose.
Associated
Bigger deal than Engels: Rodgers plots Celtic move for Kuhn 2.0
Celtic are reportedly within the star who would price greater than Arne Engels did.
This would supply the Japan worldwide with much more possibilities to seek out the again of the online within the second half of the season, along with his wasteful ending at occasions this time period suggesting that he wants much more creativity from these round him.
Due to this fact, this deal might make a number of sense for Celtic and supply Rodgers with a unique, and high quality, choice to Maeda in model on the left flank.