Why Celtic wish to signal £13m star after Hogh

Celtic have been hit with a blow this week amid the information that Daizen Maeda will probably be taking part in for Ipswich City within the Premier League subsequent season.

The Japan worldwide have raked in a charge of £10m for the Scottish Premiership champions, because the Hoops opted to money in on him with one yr left on his deal.

Maeda, who scored 14 targets within the league final season, might not be the one star participant who strikes on from Martin O’Neill‘s squad earlier than the tip of the switch window.

West Ham United, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, and Tottenham Hotspur are all eyeing up a transfer to signal Arne Engels from Parkhead.

Celtic are on the lookout for a charge within the area of £25m for the Belgium worldwide, although, and it stays to be seen whether or not or not any of these English sides are ready to pay that a lot for him.

How Arne Engels grew to become a hit at Celtic

Eyebrows have been raised when Celtic determined to interrupt their switch file to signal Engels from Augsburg for a charge of £11m in the summertime of 2024, as he had solely began 13 of his 32 Bundesliga appearances within the 2023/24 marketing campaign.

The Belgian star has began 47 league video games in two seasons with the Hoops, although, as Brendan Rodgers and O’Neill each offered him with the chance to play common minutes in the course of the park.

He didn’t play repeatedly sufficient at Augsburg within the Bundesliga to showcase the complete breadth of his talents in midfield, which is why he has flourished in Glasgow as an everyday starter within the Premiership.

A return of 14 targets and 17 ‘huge probabilities’ created in two seasons within the league has attracted curiosity from a number of Premier League groups, and will see the membership financial institution a £14m revenue if any crew meets their £25m valuation this summer season.

The Scottish giants hit the jackpot on the 22-year-old expertise as a result of they have been keen to look previous his lack of recreation time in Germany, as they noticed the potential that he had, and have offered him with a platform to shine on the pitch.

Celtic ramping up transfer for his or her subsequent Arne Engels

Now, the membership are stated to be taking a look at a participant who may arrive at Parkhead to comply with in Engels’ footsteps forward of the 2026/27 marketing campaign getting underway subsequent month.

Amid stories that the Hoops have agreed a £11m plus add-ons deal to signal Kasper Hogh from Bodo/Glimt, they won’t cease there of their pursuit of recent additions. Certainly, Soccer Insider stories that Celtic are additionally focused on a deal to signal Lazio winger Matteo Cancellieri to bolster their ahead choices in the summertime switch window.

The outlet claims that the Hoops are set to ramp up their pursuit of the left-footed proper winger so as to add extra high quality to their ahead line, now that Maeda is on his method out of Glasgow.

It provides that Lazio presently have a valuation of close to £13m (£12.8m) for the 24-year-old attacker, however they’re ready to simply accept a proposal of lower than that, but it stays to be seen precisely how a lot it will take to signal him.

The Italy worldwide may find yourself being one other club-record signing for Celtic if he prices greater than the £11m that they spent on Engels, however lower than £12.8m, and he would arrive in comparable circumstances to the Belgian.

Cancellieri solely began 21 out of 38 Serie A matches for Lazio within the 2025/26 marketing campaign, after beginning 19 instances within the earlier season, and was not a nailed-on starter on the precise flank.

The left-footed attacker nonetheless confirmed loads of high quality on the high finish of the pitch in his restricted minutes, although, as he racked up 4 targets, three ‘huge probabilities’ created, and two assists within the league.

He has loads of expertise in his younger profession already, taking part in 125 instances within the Serie A, however he has but to emerge as an everyday starter at any of his postings, which is the place Celtic can step in to assist him fulfill his potential.

REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

The 24-year-old’s kind at academy stage reveals the form of high quality that he has the potential to ship, as he scored 19 targets in 23 matches for Roma’s U17s, and 17 targets in 23 video games for Hellas Verona’s reserves.

Celtic, due to this fact, may hit the jackpot in the identical method that they did with Engels if they supply Cancellieri with the possibility to play week-in-week-out in a dominant crew competing for the title within the Premiership, because it may assist him to blow up as a goalscorer at senior stage.

That’s the reason it will be value forking out a club-record charge on the Italy worldwide, whether or not that’s near the £13m that Lazio need, or simply underneath, as he could possibly be an exceptional addition to the squad.