£25k-p/w Celtic star outshining expectations

Celtic suffered a significant loss in the summer transfer window when they transferred German winger Nicolas Kuhn to Serie A side Como for £16.5 million.

According to Transfermarkt, the left-footed sensation scored 21 goals and assisted 15 times in 51 appearances across all competitions for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 season, following a return of three goals and three assists in 18 games in the second half of last season.

🗣️ “That is absolutely 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟”

Nicolas Kuhn quickly doubles Celtic’s lead with a thunderous strike 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uEt6uPKY2i

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) November 23, 2024

Kuhn was recruited from Rapid Vienna for £3 million in January 2024, which proved to be a bargain. However, the Hoops unable to match this success with their signings last season.

Ranking Celtic’s signings from the 2024-25 season

Brendan Rodgers added ten players to his first-team squad during the summer and winter transfer windows for the 2024/25 season, eight of them were permanent.

Arne Engels signed for £11 million from Augsburg, a club record, however his performance has not been as impressive as predicted.

According to Transfermarkt, the Belgian star has three non-penalty goals, nine from the spot, and 17 assists in 80 games in all competitions, representing a very ordinary return given the money spent on him.

Because of his performance versus expectation, we put him fifth out of 10 signings, trailing only Kasper Schmeichel, who has been the club’s number one for 18 months after signing on a free transfer, Luke McCowan, Jota, and Auston Trusty.

Meanwhile, we’ve rated Alex Valle, Jeffrey Schlupp, and Viljami Sinisalo, who made his first league appearance of the season on Saturday, at the bottom of the list because they’ve rarely, if ever, worn a Celtic shirt.

As shown in the table above, Trusty is in first place. The £6 million transfer from Sheffield United has become the primary defender under Wilfried Nancy, starting all games thus far.

According to Sofascore, the USA international has won 65% of ground duels and 67% of aerial duels in the Scottish Premiership this season, indicating a dominant performance.

None of those signings, however, have come close to matching Nicolas Kuhn’s performance at Parkhead, and one of this summer’s additions is on his way to becoming the club’s next German.

Celtic’s best addition since Nicolas Kuhn.

As previously stated, the left-footed winger posed a significant threat at the top of the pitch for the Scottish giants, and none of last season’s acquisitions have come close to replacing him as of yet.

Celtic signed Benjamin Nygren from Nordsjaelland for a reputed amount of £1.3 million in the summer, and he appears to be their best signing since Kuhn.

The Sweden international has made an immediate impact at Parkhead, providing a consistent threat in the final third from right wing, central midfield, and attacking midfield positions.

💚 “A BELTER from Benjamin!”

Nygren puts Celtic in front for the first time at Livingston ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/1TpTLSlh5u

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 27, 2025

According to Transfermarkt, Nygren became the first Celtic player to reach double figures in goals in all competitions when he scored twice in Saturday’s Premiership triumph over Livingston.

As shown in the table above, Nygren’s current performance level is extremely comparable to what Kuhn produced in the Premiership last season, with identical chance creation numbers but significantly lower finishing from his teammates.

These statistics demonstrate the enormous influence that the Swedish star has had in Glasgow this season, since he is an exceptional goal scorer and playmaker.

Nygren has more goals and assists (15) than any other Celtic player in all competitions, and he has already scored more non-penalty goals for the club than Jota (after his return), Engels, Bernardo, and McCowan combined.

As a result of his strong performances this season, he appears to be the best signing since Kuhn, especially given the £1.3 million fee he was purchased for.