The January transfer window slams shut later this week and Celtic are looking to further bolster their playing squad before the deadline passes.
Brendan Rodgers is on a mission to improve his options across the pitch ahead of the second half of the season as he chases domestic success.
The Hoops have already been knocked out of Europe after they finished rock bottom of their Champions League group, and failed to secure the League Cup as they were beaten by Kilmarnock back in August of last year.
Celtic now only have the opportunity to win the Scottish Cup and the Scottish Premiership between now and the end of the season, with any possible incomings potentially coming in to help them in those competitions.
One area the Bhoys are reportedly looking to strengthen is the centre-forward position to provide Kyogo Furuhashi and Hyeon-gyu Oh with competition.
Celtic's search for a striker
The Hoops are keen to add another number nine to their squad and appear to have turned their attention to the son of one of their former strikers.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the Scottish giants have a real interest in Bologna marksman Sydney van Hooijdonk.
Celtic are one of a number of clubs keen on a late swoop for the 23-year-old ace, who is the son of ex-Bhoys star Pierre van Hooijdonk, ahead of the deadline this week as they look for a rival for Kyogo and Oh.
The reporter added that clubs from the Eredivisie and Portugal are also eyeing up the Dutch finisher, which means that Rodgers could face plenty of competition to secure his signature over the next few days.
Romano has stated that van Hooijdonk wants to move on from Bologna in search of regular game time as he is set to be behind Joshua Zirkzee and Santiago Castro for the second half of the season in the Serie A.
This has opened the door for Celtic to swoop in to strike a deal for his services, as the player is keen on an exit from his club, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops will realise their interest with an actual approach for the forward.
At this moment in time, there is no mention of talks between the two sides or a bid from the Scottish outfit, which does not suggest that a deal for the former NAC Breda starlet is close.
If Celtic do secure his service before the deadline, Rodgers could land a dream partner for the club's only signing of the month so far – Nicolas Kuhn.
Nicolas Kuhn's creative brilliance
The Hoops swooped to sign the 24-year-old winger from Austrian side Rapid Wien on a five-and-a-half-year contract to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
He made his Hoops debut off the bench against Ross County last weekend but did not get the opportunity to showcase the best of his qualities.
Minutes played
26
Touches
18
Dribbles completed
One
Key passes
Zero
Shots
Zero
As you can see in the table above, Kuhn did not get many touches of the ball and, as a result, did not show off his quality at the top end of the pitch.
However, the left-footed wizard caught the eye with his creative brilliance for Rapid Wien during the first half of the season and has the potential to be an excellent creator for the Hoops.
The German magician started 16 Austrian Bundesliga matches this term before his switch to Parkhead and contributed with two goals and five assists for his side.
Kuhn created 11 'big chances' in total and made 1.8 key passes per match for Wien as he displayed his ability to split open opposition defences on a regular basis.
Daizen Maeda has been Celtic's first-choice right winger so far this season and has produced two assists, four 'big chances' created, and 0.5 key passes per game across 17 Premiership appearances.
This suggests that the former Bayern Munich prospect could provide far more quality as a creator for his teammates than the Japan international, if he can translate his form in the Bundesliga over to the Scottish top-flight in the coming weeks and month.
The stats that show why Celtic should sign van Hooijdonk
Rodgers could land a lethal partner for Kuhn by signing van Hooijdonk before the deadline, as the Dutch marksman could make the most of the chances that come his way in the box.
The 23-year-old ace has has struggled for game time in the Serie A this season, with two starts to his name, but his form for Heerenveen on loan in the Eredivisie suggests the potential is there for him to be a reliable scorer for Celtic.
He spent 18 months on loan in his home country and caught the eye with his quality in front of goal. The Hoops target produced six goals and one assist in 13 league outings during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, and only missed three 'big chances'.
Starts
30
Goals
16
Big chances missed
Ten
Assists
One
Sofascore rating
6.99
As you can see in the table above, van Hooijdonk followed that impressive five months with a fantastic full season with Heerenveen in the Eredivisie.
The £7.6k-per-week gem, whose form that term was hailed as "superb" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
He racked up 22 goals in 43 league starts – more than one goal every other start on average – and only missed 13 'big chances' during that 18-month spell.
This shows that the Dutchman was not wasteful in front of goal as he scored nine more goals than 'big chances' missed. Whereas, Kyogo has missed 12 'big chances' and scored eight goals in 23 Premiership outings this season.
These statistics suggest that the current Celtic marksman has not made the most of the chances that his teammates have provided with him, which does not indicate that Kyogo – at this moment in time – is the dream striker to benefit from Kuhn's creativity.
Van Hooijdonk, on the other hand, could be a lethal finisher to get on the end of the 24-year-old winger's crosses and passes if he can translate his Eredivisie form over to Scotland.
