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Celtic in talks to sign “machine” who could end Kenny’s Parkhead career
Celtic need to sign a new number nine before the end of the January transfer window because Johnny Kenny has not been effective enough this season.
The Ireland international has scored four goals in the Scottish Premiership from an xG of 8.27, per WhoScored, and that underperformance of -4.27 is the worst in the entire squad.
The 22-year-old centre-forward has not been clinical enough in front of goal to prove that he has the quality to be the main man up front for Martin O’Neill moving forward.
Kelechi Iheanacho is the only natural alternative to Kenny for the Hoops, and he has only been available for four Premiership games since his move to the club last summer, per Sofascore, which is why a new striker is needed at Parkhead.
Celtic are in talks to sign new striker
The reigning Premiership champions are well aware of their need for another number nine, as they are reportedly looking to bring one to Glasgow this month.
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Japanese centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi back to Parkhead in the January transfer window.
The reporter claims that the Hoops have made contact with EFL Championship side Birmingham to check in on their former star’s availability this month.
He adds that the two clubs are currently in talks over a possible deal for the Japan international, and that the Blues are considering doing business with them.
However, Joseph reveals that Kyogo is viewed as a valued member of their squad by Chris Davies, which means that it is a deal that could take some convincing on Celtic’s part.
Why interest in Kyogo is bad news for Kenny
This is bad news for Kenny because the return of Kyogo at Parkhead could put an end to his career at Celtic, as he would arrive as a big upgrade on the Irishman.
As aforementioned, the young marksman has not offered enough at the top end of the pitch this season as either a goalscorer or a finisher, significantly underperforming his xG and only scoring four goals in the league.
Kyogo’s return of one goal in 25 matches for Birmingham this season may not immediately suggest that he would be a better option than Kenny for O’Neill, but every Celtic supporter knows that he is capable of far more than that.
The experienced centre-forward scored 85 goals in 165 matches for the Scottish giants, per Transfermarkt, before his £10m move to Ligue 1 side Rennes at the start of last year.
By around this stage in the 2024/25 campaign, Kyogo had scored ten goals in 22 appearances in the Premiership for Celtic before his January exit, whilst Kenny has only scored five goals in 18 matches in all competitions this term.
The 30-year-old star, who was hailed as a “goal machine” by John Hartson last summer, was consistently prolific throughout his career in the Premiership with the Hoops, hitting double figures for goals in all four of his seasons with the club.
|
Kyogo’s Premiership career |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
|
24/25 |
22 |
10 |
|
23/24 |
38 |
14 |
|
22/23 |
36 |
27 |
|
21/22 |
20 |
12 |
As you can see in the table above, Kyogo scored at least ten goals in all four seasons, despite only playing 20 and 22 matches in his first and last years at Parkhead, which speaks to his ability to consistently find the back of the net.
His struggles in England and France do not take anything away from his proven ability to score goals on a regular basis in Scotland, which is why there should not be too much concern about what he has done in England this term.
Kyogo knows how to score goals in Scotland and for Celtic and could return to the club this month as the proven goalscorer that they have been desperately lacking.
Signing a player with his pedigree and record would suggest that he would come in as the first-choice option up front, which could leave Kenny considering his future at the club.
The 22-year-old may have to consider moving on from Parkhead because his form this season suggests that he is not going to be the main man any time soon, so a move to another club where he could find more joy and more game time could be the right move for him.
Celtic now ‘one step away’ from signing 15-cap international defender
The Bhoys are now close to completing their second signing of the January window.
Therefore, the signing of Kyogo before the end of the January transfer window could set about a series of events that lead to the end of Kenny’s career at Celtic.
