Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is constantly looking for improvement in his team at Parkhead and that is summed up by his side’s success on Sunday.
The Northern Irish head coach returned to Paradise in the summer of 2023 and was knocked out of the League Cup at the first opportunity, losing 1-0 to Kilmarnock.
His team, of course, went on to win the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup in the second half of the season, but the League Cup eluded him in his first season back.
This time around, the Hoops have won the competition after they beat Rangers 5-4 on penalties at Hampden Park in the final on Sunday, which means that Rodgers has won all three domestic trophies since his move back to the club.
The former Liverpool and Leicester head coach will now be hoping that his team can kick on and secure the domestic treble, by winning the Premiership and the SFA Cup again in the second half of the season.
Celtic are also on course to qualify for the play-off round of the Champions League, with one defeat in six games, and could use the January transfer window to give themselves the best chance of success in 2025.
Celtic eyeing £5m forward
According to the Daily Mail Online, reported by Stephen McGowan, Rodgers is lining up a January swoop for Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
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The report claims that the Belgian winger is on the club’s radar ahead of the transfer window officially opening for business next month, as they plot to improve their options in the wide areas.
It states that the 23-year-old attacker was a target for the Scottish giants in the summer transfer window before a muscle injury that ruled him out for months scuppered any potential move.
Balikwisha made his long-awaited return from injury earlier this month and that has seemingly reignited the interest from Celtic and Rodges, as they are now eyeing up a swoop for him in the winter window.
The Daily Mail Online reveals that a fee of £5m could be enough to secure his services ahead of the second half of the season, although it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops are prepared to pay that to bring him to Parkhead in January.
Rodgers should push for the club to get a deal over the line for the Belgian star, though, as Nicolas Kuhn has proven that you can hit the jackpot by dipping outside of the major European leagues to land a bargain in January.
Starts
9
11
Goals
2
5
Big chances created
5
7
Assists
2
6
As you can see in the table above, the January signing from Rapid Vienna has been a terrific operator for the Hoops in the Premiership, with seven goals and 12 ‘big chances’ created in 20 starts throughout 2024.
Balikwisha, who predominantly plays on the opposite flank to Kuhn, could come in to make a similar impact and look to displace Daizen Maeda from the starting line-up.
Daizen Maeda's form this season
The Japan international notched his 11th goal in all competitions this season in the League Cup final on Sunday, racing through to slot past Jack Butland in the second half of normal time.
Maeda has recorded 11 goals and four assists in 23 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, but six of those goals came in his three outings in the League Cup.
The 27-year-old attacker’s form in the Premiership for Celtic has been inconsistent, at best, as he has failed to provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.
Appearances
14
Goals
2
Big chances missed
7
Key passes per game
1.2
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, Maeda has been incredibly wasteful with the high-quality opportunities that his teammates have created for him, missing a ‘big chance’ every other game on average.
The Japanese forward will be on an average of a goal or an assist every three matches if he fails to record a goal or an assist in his next league outing, which illustrates his inconsistent end product in the final third.
With this in mind, Balikwisha could come in as a big upgrade on Maeda with his potential to provide quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals on the left flank.
Why Balikwisha could be an upgrade on Maeda
As aforementioned, the Belgian dynamo has missed the majority of this season with a muscle injury, but his form in the 2023/24 campaign suggests that he could be an excellent addition to the Celtic squad.
In the Pro League last season, Balikwisha started 27 of his club’s 38 matches and caught the eye as an efficient finisher and an exciting creative threat on the left wing.
The 23-year-old wizard, whose dribbling was described as “high level” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, produced ten goals and eight assists in all competitions, with the best of his form coming at league level.
Starts
27
12
Goals
7
2
Big chances missed
6
7
Key passes per game
1.5
1.2
Assists
5
3
As you can see in the table above, both players offer a similar threat as a creator but Balikwisha has the quality to provide more as a finisher, as he scored five more goals last season than Maeda has managed this term, despite missing fewer ‘big chances’.
The £5m-rated star also played for an Antwerp side that finished third and scored 55 goals in 30 league matches, whilst Celtic are currently top of the Premiership and have already scored 44 goals in 15 league outings.
Now, imagine a player of Balikwisha’s goalscoring quality being in a superior attacking set-up that can consistently create chances for him to work his magic in the final third.
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Like Kuhn, the Antwerp star could come in and thrive off the quality of service that is provided by the rest of the team and use his skills to be a big upgrade on Maeda out wide by providing far more goals to the side.