Celtic: Rodgers’ £25m star could leave in January
The Parkhead side will face a battle to hang onto one of their prized assets.
Celtic could be set to lose one of their integral senior players in January, and a fresh report has revealed which club are trying to tempt him into leaving the Scottish Premiership.
What’s the latest transfer news at Celtic?
Over the summer, Brendan Rodgers had a busy window, bringing in a total of ten fresh faces which included the likes of Luis Palma, Tomoki Iwata and Nathaniel Phillips, but whilst the boss was busy getting players into the building, he was equally working on some of them leaving.
In terms of outgoings, Jota was the biggest name to depart having joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, alongside Carl Starfelt and Albian Ajeti who also completed exits just to name a few, as per Transfermarkt, and even though the window has now closed, all eyes are focused on January.
At Parkhead, Daizen Maeda only arrived permanently last summer following a previous successful loan from Yokohama F. Marinos, and despite still having another four years remaining on his contract, he’s already been linked with a move elsewhere this year.
The Japan international emerged as a serious target for Premier League side Southampton at the start of the year, and even though a deal failed to come to fruition after the 25-year-old admitted that he was firmly focused on the job at hand, there’s a possibility that he could have his head turned by a bigger club in the future.
Is Daizen Maeda leaving Celtic?
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur are “keeping close tabs” on Maeda, where Ange Postecoglou is plotting a reunion with his former attacker. The Celtic star is a player being “looked at” by the club’s ex-boss as he looks to bolster his options out wide in N17.
The Lilywhites are in the process of “conducting their due diligence” on the left-winger, with his versatility to operate on both flanks making him an “attractive” prospect.
Spurs are “exploring the conditions” of a swoop, and it’s claimed that the outfit north of the border would be looking to receive £25m to sanction his sale, the same fee that saw them let go of Jota.
How many goals has Daizen Maeda scored for Celtic?
Since first putting pen to paper at Celtic, Maeda has posted 32 contributions (19 goals and 13 assists) in 76 appearances (prior to today’s game vs Dundee) which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, but it’s not just the impact he makes when hitting the back of the net that he brings to the side.
The JEB Entertainment client has been deployed in six different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even two roles in the midfield, so despite his versatility being attractive to other clubs, it makes him a great option to have in the building.
Furthermore, Maeda has helped Rodgers’ side to secure four trophies following his arrival, including the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup, and the “dangerous” threat that he provides, as described by journalist Josh Bunting, will only help to increase that number moving forward.
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Man United: £7m machine was a bigger talent than Hojlund at Old Trafford
One of Ferguson’s United signings would thrive under Ten Hag’s setup.
Manchester United have struggled in front of goal this season, scoring just five times across four matches while securing only two wins from these Premier League ties, and it’s evident that Erik ten Hag has to change things up if he wants his team to contend for the title.
Marcus Rashford led the way last season, scoring 30 goals across all competitions, yet he has yet to catch fire this term, netting only once in four league outings, indicating that perhaps he needs more time to get back into his stride.
Bruno Fernandes also proved to be a key attacking outlet for the Red Devils last season, netting 14 times, but like Rashford, he has failed to really get going thus far and Ten Hag will require others to step up and begin contributing.
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The Dutchman went all out to sign Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund in the summer transfer window, spending £72m to secure one of the most highly-rated talents on the continent.
Having missed the start of the season due to injury, the youngster will need to hit the ground running and prove to the United faithful why this sort of money was splashed out on him.
How good is Rasmus Hojlund?
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During the 2022/23 campaign, the Dane scored 16 goals in all competitions, which included nine for Serie A side Atalanta, having made the move to Italy from Sturm Graz last summer.
He only started 20 league matches for the club, yet ranked third for goals and assists (11), second for shots per game (1.7) and eighth for successful dribbles per game (0.9), indicating that he settled into life well in Serie A, despite his tender years.
Despite these encouraging statistics, when compared to positional peers, Hojlund only ranks in the top 30% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.42), while also ranking in the top 33% for total shots per 90 (2.81), demonstrating that he isn’t quite the finished article yet and there is still some developing to do.
The striker has only scored 27 senior club career goals and Ten Hag is perhaps expecting too much with regard to the youngster leading the line for the Old Trafford side, thus putting a heap of pressure on his shoulders already.
Given their struggles in the final third, what the former Ajax boss would give to have a former United sensation as his main striker right now. The likes of Andy Cole is one such player. He had everything to thrive under the Dutchman, certainly proving to be a bigger talent than Hojlund is currently.
How much did Manchester United sign Andy Cole for?
Sir Alex Ferguson was the master at signing players who were either just about to hit their peak years or had proven that they could thrive in the Premier League.
Andy Cole fits into both of these categories, having spent the previous two and half seasons scoring for fun at Newcastle United.
The Englishman netted 12 goals in the old First Division as the Magpies gained promotion to the Premier League and during the 1993/94 campaign, he exploded into life, making the top flight his stage.
Cole scored a staggering 34 goals across 40 matches as Newcastle finished the season in a wonderful third spot under Kevin Keegan and the good times finally looked to be coming back to St James’ Park.
Ferguson needed another goalscorer and earmarked Cole as the player who could spearhead the United attack for the foreseeable future.
The wily Scot eventually secured his signature for a fee of £7m in January 1995 and although his signing couldn’t help United win a third consecutive league crown, the future was bright.
How many goals did Andy Cole score for Manchester United?
His first two full seasons saw Cole hit just 11 and six league goals respectively as he struggled to live up to the vast hype, numbers indicative of Hojlund’s embryonic years in football. Yet, the former finally hit the ground running during the 1997/98 campaign, scoring 25 goals across all competitions.
Having lost the league to Arsenal, Ferguson made sure there wouldn’t be a repeat of this by luring striker Dwight Yorke to the club, and it proved to be a stroke of genius, with him and Cole forming a deadly partnership when deployed up front together.
Their stunning link-up play against Barcelona in the Champions League during their first season together was a joy to behold, and the duo received praise from a variety of figures, including Ferguson himself.
He said: “Andy Cole had a great time with us. He and Dwight Yorke had that fantastic season in 1999 that year they were the best partnership in Europe.”
Commentator Clive Tyldesley even lauded the pair, saying “They are out of this world,” as they led United to a stunning treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup during the 1998/99 season.
Cole would remain at Old Trafford for the next two and half years before making the move to Blackburn Rovers in 2002, where he won the League Cup just a few weeks after his arrival.
Overall, the 15-cap Englishman made 275 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 121 times in the process while winning five league titles and the coveted Champions League in what was a golden era for the club.
Can you imagine a player like this in the current United team? With creative talents such as Fernandes and Mason Mount producing chance after chance for the striker, and Rashford linking up well from a wide position, it would be a match made in heaven.
Hojlund is still young and relatively experienced at senior level, playing just 88 matches over the previous three seasons but will need to start scoring before the pressure hits unbearable levels. He could well use Cole’s example as inspiration.
The latter had everything to be a top-level centre-forward. He was pacy, and could outmanoeuvre even the best of defenders while having a ruthless streak which enabled him to be the main man at Old Trafford for over half a decade.
Hojlund is a wonderful talent and has already shown glimpses of his ability in Italy, but the pressure is greater in Manchester and in order to build on his solid start to life in senior football, he could certainly learn a thing from the success Cole enjoyed at the club.
Plenty of strikers have already tried to crawl out of Cole’s shadow and failed; it’s now time for the Norwegian to show he won’t have the same difficulties. Over to you, Rasmus.
