Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will surely be delighted with his team’s start to the 2024/25 campaign after they went into the last international break of the year in first place in the Scottish Premiership.
A 2-0 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday ensured that the Hoops are top of the division on goal difference, after Aberdeen’s 4-1 win over Dundee on Saturday had put them in first initially.
Goals from Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn extended the club’s record to ten wins and one draw, which came against the Dons, in 11 league matches this season.
The Scottish giants have also caught the eye with their performances in Europe, beating RB Leipzig and Slovan, and drawing with Atalanta, although they were beaten 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund.
Despite the club’s fantastic start to the season, the recruitment team and Rodgers will constantly be looking at players who could come in to improve the group.
The squad is constantly evolving and there will be players who move on in the January transfer window, or next summer, and that will open the door for fresh recruits to bolster the side.
In fact, Celtic are already reportedly looking at a star who could come in to give the squad and potentially Arne Engels a boost ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.
Arne Engels' form for Celtic this season
The Belgium international joined for a club-record fee from Bundesliga side Augsburg during the summer transfer window and has had mixed success so far.
He has racked up three goals and six assists in 14 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants so far, which is a more than respectable return for a 21-year-old adapting to life in a new country.
His most recent showing against Kilmarnock on Sunday was disappointing, though, as Football FanCast published an article outlining his struggles on the artificial pitch, with one ground duel won and 16 losses of possession without creating any chances.
Appearances
8
Goals
2
Big chances created
3
Assists
0
Tackles + interceptions per game
0.7
As you can see in the table above, Engels is unlucky to have not registered a single assist in the Premiership this season, with three ‘big chances’ created.
However, he has struggled to make an impact out of possession, as was the case against Kilmarnock, with less than one tackle and interception combined per match, and that is where this potential new signing could take some of the pressure off him.
Celtic interested in Premier League midfielder
According to CaughtOffside, Celtic are keen on Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and are far from the only team interested in signing the central midfielder.
The report claims that the Hoops are one of a number of sides eyeing up the former Stuttgart dynamo, with AC Milan, Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Ipswich Town also said to be lining up a move for the Reds outcast.
It states that all of those clubs, including Celtic, have ‘shown’ an interest in the Japan international and could swoop for him when the January transfer window opens for business.
CaughtOffside adds that Endo is open to completing a move away from Anfield after the turn of the year because of his lack of minutes on the pitch under Arne Slot, with zero starts and five substitute appearances – totalling 25 minutes of action – in the Premier League this season.
The outlet claims that Liverpool could accept a fee of up to €18m (£15m) for the former Bundesliga battler, but does not outright state that Slot wants to cash in on the rarely-seen midfielder.
A fee of £15m for a player who turns 32 this season, in February, does not seem like a viable move for Celtic, when you consider that their club-record is the £11m that they paid for Arne Engels this summer.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, the Hoops could possibly attempt to convince Liverpool to sanction a loan in the second half of the season, which could bolster Rodgers’ squad and provide Endo with a chance to shine and increase his value and number of suitors with strong performances.
The Japanese midfielder, if he can recapture his best form, could be a signing that would allow Engels to shine even brighter in the middle of the park.
Why Celtic should sign Endo
If the Hoops can secure a loan deal for the second half of the season, the Liverpool midfielder could provide a combative presence in the middle of the park to make up for Engels’ struggles in that department.
The Japanese gem has rarely got on the pitch this term but did play 29 times under Jurgen Klopp in the Premier League last season and averaged 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game, along with 2.9 ground duels won per game.
He also ranked within the top 33% of midfielders in the league for progressive passes per 90 (5.28), which shows that he can cut out opposition attacks and build forward moves for his own team when in possession by progressing the ball forward.
Endo, who was hailed as “exceptional” and a “machine” by Klopp, also showcased his quality out of possession during his time with Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, prior to his move to Liverpool in the summer of 2023.
Appearances
33
Goals
5
Assists
4
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.9
Duel success rate
52%
As you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old star provided quality on the ball, with nine goal contributions, but was also strong at winning the ball back for his side, cutting out opposition attacks with vital interventions.
His 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game are impressive when you consider that no Celtic midfielder has managed more than 2.6 per outing, and Paulo Bernardo (2.6) is the only midfielder with more than 1.7 per match.
Endo has the defensive quality to be a stopper in the middle of the park and that could free up Engles, as well as the likes of Reo Hatate, Bernardo, and Luke McCowan to push on and not exert as much energy defensively.
Therefore, signing the Japanese whiz to compete with the captain for a spot at the base of the midfield could help the club’s record-signing, who has struggled off the ball.
Celtic messed up with Rodgers flop who earned as much as Matt O'Riley
Celtic might have expected more to come from the money they invested in the defender.
ByDan EmeryNov 10, 2024