Alongside Kuhn: Celtic can soon profit on star whose value has soared 100%

The first phase of the new Champions League format may only be at its midpoint, but Scottish champions Celtic already looked well placed to progress into at least the playoff rounds, having picked up seven points from four outings in Europe’s premier competition.

Perched nicely above the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, no less, the Old Firm giants have richly deserved their improved fortunes on the continental stage, having powered to victories over both Slovan Bratislava and – more impressively – RB Leipzig, while also holding firm away to a rampant Atalanta side.

There was that night in Dortmund, yet that harrowing affair looks like being something of an anomaly rather than the norm this time around, with Brendan Rodgers having fashioned a far more competitive outfit that can properly challenge Europe’s elite.

Front of centre of Tuesday’s triumph over Leipzig – as well as the season so far as a whole – has been Nicolas Kuhn, with the German wizard having taken on the mantle of being the Hoops’ new talisman.

Nicholas Kuhn’s season in numbers

Plucked from Rapid Vienna on a £3m deal back in January, it’s fair to say that it proved a slow start to life in Glasgow for the promising winger, as he ended the campaign with just three goals and three assists for his new club in all competitions.

That bedding-in period saw Kuhn forced to battle it out with long-serving veteran, James Forrest, for a starting role on the right flank, with Rodgers even hailing the Scotsman as the club’s “best winger” back in March. The tables have now surely turned.

Ever since pre-season – where the 24-year-old notably bagged a brace against Manchester City in July – the former Germany youth international has been in electric form, having now racked up nine goals and ten assists already across all fronts.

Now looking like the man to fill the goal-scoring and creative void of Matt O’Riley, Kuhn’s greatest night thus far undoubtedly came in midweek, having pulled the hosts level at Parkhead with a stunning, long-range curler, before completing the comeback with a well-taken finish just before the break.

The dazzling left-footer truly is a joy to behold on that right-hand side, with the hope being that he stays put in Glasgow for the long haul, despite reports that “several Premier League clubs” have already lodged enquiries, according to German journalist, Florian Plettenberg.

Of course, that almost laughable €10m (£9m) valuation must be taken with a pinch of salt, although it does indicate the rise that Kuhn has enjoyed in less than 12 months at Celtic Park, as he looks to follow in the footsteps of the likes of O’Riley and Jota who departed for Scottish record fees.

While a £25m price tag – which has also been mooted for Kuhn amid Brentford interest – may appear out of reach for another of Rodgers’ shining bunch, it looks as if the Premiership side won’t just be making a significant profit on Kuhn in the years to come…

The Celtic star whose value has soared

While Rodgers can take the credit for the capture of Kuhn, the Northern Irishman must doff the cap to his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, for the signing of another of his key lieutenants, in the form of Alistair Johnston.

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Signed back in December 2022 amid his commitments for Canada at the World Cup in Qatar, the right-back has swiftly made that £3.5m fee look like something of a bargain, such is his growing importance in Rodgers’ ranks.

In truth, Johnston’s quality, passion and commitment have all been evident ever since he was thrust into the Old Firm derby on debut back in January 2023, with it a testament to his character that not only was he thrown in at the deep end by Postecoglou, but that he swam rather than sank.

The former Montreal star ended that first campaign with one goal and two assists to his name under the current Tottenham Hotspur boss, before adding one goal and seven assists in 2023/24 under Rodgers.

Now even tasked with taking on the captain’s armband in the absence of Callum McGregor on occasion, the 26-year-old’s standing and status has grown even further in the current campaign, having already matched last season’s tally with eight goal involvements to date.

As club legend Chris Sutton has stated, those “forward runs” are a “part of his game under Brendan Rodgers that he has really improved”, having become a real outlet behind the rampaging Kuhn.

A return of four goals and two assists in only ten league outings has perhaps seen Johnston firmly surpass a certain James Tavernier as the division’s leading right-back, with it no surprise that the Canadian continues to attract interest, amid the potential prospect of a bumper new deal.

While any sort of price tag has not been noted, the in-form defender is now said to be worth around €8.5m (£7m), according to Transfermarkt, representing a 100% increase on his initial £3.5m fee.

That rise speaks to the impact he has made in a Celtic shirt thus far, with the combination of himself and Kuhn down the right flank certainly a fruitful – and potentially profitable – one for Rodgers and co. Long may it continue.

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