Celtic suffered their first defeat of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign on Sunday as they were beaten 2-1 by Kilmarnock away from Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers opted to leave forward Kyogo Furuhashi on the bench once again and they did not miss him in the first half as Matt O’Riley handed the away side the lead with a close-range finish.
However, an own goal from Nat Phillips, who was sliding in across his own six yard box, and a composed finish from Matthew Kennedy secured all three points for the hosts as they claimed a famous victory.
Celtic’s lead at the top of the Premiership table could be cut to just two if their rivals win their game in-hand and Rodgers could look to the January transfer window to provide his squad with a much-needed boost.
The Hoops have already been knocked out of the League Cup and European football and, therefore, need to ensure they do not let their lead slip in the top-flight if they want to come away from this season with silverware.
One area of the squad they are reportedly looking to strengthen is the centre-forward position amid links to multiple number nine options.
Celtic transfer news – Bojan Miovski and Mathias Kvistgaarden
Earlier this month, The Scottish Sun reported that the Hoops are considering a move to sign Aberdeen star Bojan Miovski during the January transfer window.
The outlet claimed that the club are eyeing up the North Macedonia international, alongside rivals Rangers, and Rodgers has sent scouts to watch him in every domestic game so far this season.
It was stated that the Dons are reluctant to let him leave next month and are set to demand a Scottish record transfer fee from any interested parties.
This means that Miovski would cost more than the £4.4m that Hibernian earned from Celtic for the sale of Scott Brown back in 2007.
However, Rodgers could land a dream alternative to the 24-year-old whiz as the Hoops are also said to be interested in Brondby star Mathias Kvistgaarden.
Danish outlet Tipsbladet reported that the Scottish giants are keen on a swoop for the talented young marksman as the Northern Irish manager wants to bolster his squad with more firepower ahead of the second half of the season.
The report added that it could cost Celtic a fee of €10m (£8.6m) to secure his services and it remains to be seen whether or not they would be willing to meet Brondby’s demands.
It was also claimed that clubs from the Bundesliga, Premier League, and Championship, albeit all unnamed, are also looking at the 21-year-old prospect.
If Rodgers can win the race to secure the impressive talent’s signature in January then he could be a fantastic addition to the squad and a dream alternative to Miovski, despite the Dons star being an attractive option for the club.
Miovski’s goal record for Aberdeen
The North Macedonia international has the potential to be an excellent signing for the Hoops, without a doubt, as he is a proven Premiership performer.
Miovski has already showcased his ability to find the back of the net with regularity in Scottish football since his move to the country at the start of last season.
The left-footed finisher caught the eye with 16 goals and two assists across 37 Premiership appearances during his debut campaign with Aberdeen.
So far this season, the Celtic target has contributed with a solid six goals and one assist in 15 top-flight matches for Barry Robson’s side.
23/24 Europa Conference League | Bojan Miovski (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
Appearances | Five |
Starts | Three |
Sofascore rating | 7.02 |
Goals | Two |
Assists | One |
As you can see in the table above, Miovski has also made his mark on the European stage this season with impressive performances at Europa Conference League level.
In total, the clinical ace has plundered 30 goals and six assists in 67 appearances for the Dons in all competitions, which includes 22 goals and three assists in 52 Premiership games.
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This means that the Aberdeen star has contributed with a goal or an assist every 1.86 matches on average since the start of last season in all competitions.
These statistics show that the 6 foot 2 dynamo has the quality to chip in with goals and assists on a regular basis in Scottish football, which is why he could be a good signing for Celtic.
However, Kvistgaarden is a younger centre-forward who could have the potential to provide more quality and longevity for Rodgers in the number nine position
The statistics that show why Celtic should sign Kvistgaarden
Firstly, the Danish talent is three years younger than Miovski and, therefore, has greater long-term value and more room and time to develop and improve under the manager’s coaching.
His sensational form for Brondby since the start of the 2022/23 Superligaen Championship Round also suggests that the Hoops target could offer more at the top end of the pitch.
Kvistgaarden scored six goals and provided four assists in nine appearances at the tail end of last season as he finally hit his stride at senior level.
Kvistgaarden’s academy form (via Transfermarkt) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistic | Brondby U19s | Brondby Reserves |
Appearances | 45 | 13 |
Goals | 31 | Three |
Assists | 11 | One |
As you can see from the table above, the Denmark U21 international caught the eye with his prolific performances, as a scorer and a creator of goals, at youth level before his first-team breakthrough with Brondby.
This season, the £8.6m-rated marksman has plundered seven goals and seven assists in 21 appearances in all competitions, including five goals and seven assists in 17 league outings.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the Danish starlet was “on fire” earlier this year and the statistics show that it has consistently been the case since last season’s Championship Round.
Kvistgaarden has contributed with 11 goals and 11 assists in 30 matches for Brondby during that period, which is a fantastic return of one goal involvement every 1.36 games on average.
This shows that the 5 foot 8 prodigy has chipped in with goals and assists with greater regularity than Miovski, which suggests that the Brondby star could offer Celtic more quality in the final third.
Therefore, Kvistgaarden could be a dream alternative to the Aberdeen ace due to his age and ability to score and assist goals more frequently.
