Celtic need to bring in a new winger, or two, to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ options at the top end of the pitch before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.
The Hoops currently have Daizen Maeda, Hyun-jun Yang, and James Forrest as their senior wide players, and Maeda is the only one to have managed a goal contribution so far this season.
The Japan international teed up Luke McCowan for his goal on the opening day against St Mirren, before he notched his first goal of the campaign in the 4-1 win over Falkirk in the League Cup.
Yang and Forrest combined for six goals and eight assists in the Scottish Premiership last season, per Sofascore, and have yet to prove either of them has what it takes to be a regular starter on the right flank.
This means that the Hoops are still yet to find their replacement for German winger Nicolas Kuhn, who was Rodgers’ first-choice option on the right side last term.
Celtic sold the former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich youngster to Como for a fee of £17m earlier this summer, and his exit left a hole in the attack.
Why Celtic need to replace Nicolas Kuhn
It may seem obvious as to why the Hoops need to find a replacement for the left-footed attacker, but the club are over a month on from selling him to the Italian outfit and have yet to find a player to replace the impact that he made on the pitch.
Kuhn delivered heaps of quality in the final third on a regular basis for the Scottish giants across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, which earned him his £17m move to Italy.
The 25-year-old magician ended his only full season at Celtic with a return of 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he offered goals and assists week-in-week-out.
13 of those goals and nine of those assists for the Hoops came in the Premiership, as he caused constant problems for opposition defenders in the top-flight.
xG
0.46
Top 10%
Goals
0.62
Top 8%
Shots on target
1.30
Top 14%
xA
0.34
Top 10%
Assists
0.43
Top 10%
Chances created
2.49
Top 12%
As you can see in the table above, Kuhn was one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premiership with his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate.
This is why it is important that the Hoops push to bring in a high-quality forward to ‘replace’ what the German attacker provided on the pitch for Rodgers in the 2024/25 campaign.
Celtic make contact over deal for Dutch winger
According to CeltsAreHere, Celtic have made contact with the representatives of Feyenoord winger Calvin Stengs, having identified him as a potential signing.
The report claims that the Hoops have contacted him to express their interest in bringing the forward over to Parkhead before the end of the summer transfer window.
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This means that the Scottish giants are exploring a possible deal to snap up the 26-year-old dynamo, but they have yet to speak with Feyenoord to discuss a fee for the attacker.
CeltsAreHere adds that it will not be an easy deal for Celtic to get done before September’s deadline because the Dutch side are not actively looking to cash in on him and view him as a key part of their plans moving forward.
It had been reported last year that Charlotte FC were close to signing the forward for a fee of £6.4m, but the player rejected the transfer. This may, though, offer a rough guide to how much the Hoops may need to pay for his services.
Why Celtic should sign Calvin Stengs
Rodgers should be pushing the board to formalise the club’s interest in Stengs by following up on their contact with the player with official talks with Feyenoord to get a deal done.
This is because the Netherlands international, who scored against Celtic in the Champions League in 2023, could be the manager’s next version of Kuhn.
Like the German whiz, Stengs is a left-footed right winger who likes to cut inside onto his favoured foot to deliver goals and assists at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis.
The 26-year-old talent missed 35 games through injury last season, per Transfermarkt, and that led to a return of just one goal in 16 matches in all competitions.
Whilst supporters may be concerned by that injury record, it is worth noting that Stengs only missed 14 matches through injury in the six seasons before that combined.
The Dutch star, who Jacek Kulig claimed “could do wonders” as a winger in the right system, showcased his quality in the final third for Feyenoord in the 2023/24 campaign, before last season’s injury woes derailed his progress.
xG
5.22
Top 20%
Goals
6
Top 22%
xA
8.59
Top 2%
Chances created
71
Top 1%
Cross accuracy
33%
Top 13%
Assists
12
Top 1%
As you can see in the table above, Stengs ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in the Eredivisie as both a scorer and a creator of goals that term, ending the season with 18 direct goal contributions in the division.
The £6m-rated star delivered eight goals and 17 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions for Feyenoord that term, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can provide a constant threat at the top end of the pitch when fit and playing regularly.
Stengs, who scored 24 goals and racked up 22 assists in 113 games for AZ Alkmaar, could fill the hole that has yet to be filled since Kuhn’s move to Como was confirmed over a month ago, as he has the quality on the ball to replicate the impact the German star made.
Of course, there is still a degree of risk attached to any move for the Feyenoord ace because of the volume of games he missed last season, but his overall injury history does not suggest that it is likely to be a long-term concern.
Therefore, Celtic should be pushing to get a deal done for Stengs before the end of the window because he has the potential to be Kuhn 2.0 for Rodgers as another left-footed right winger who can offer goals and assists with impressive regularity.
