Celtic could end Yang & Maeda’s Parkhead careers by signing SPFL star

Celtic needed Benjamin Nygren to come off the bench to secure the three points for Martin O’Neill’s side in the 2-1 win over Aberdeen on Wednesday night.

The Hoops were drawing 1-1 with the Dons, after Kevin Nisbet cancelled out Kieran Tierney’s opener, and the Swedish star came on to divert James Forrest’s cross into the back of the net.

Nygren has now scored 19 goals in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership giants in his first season in Glasgow, including a return of 15 goals in 20 league starts.

The 24-year-old star, who has also registered four assists in the league, is the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions and in the Premiership, having hit the ground running after his move from Denmark last summer.

After often playing as a right winger or as a centre-forward last season, it was somewhat surprising to see Nygren emerge as a regular starter in a central midfield role this term.

The number one position Celtic need to strengthen this summer

Celtic lost a significant attacking threat when they sold Nicolas Kuhn to Como for £16.5m last summer, as the German winger provided goals and assists on a regular basis.

The Hoops opted against signing a natural right winger, though, as they signed left wingers Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Sebastian Tounekti, leaving Forrest and Hyun-jun Yang as the main right-sided options.

Yang had a burst of four goals in seven games between the 27th December and the 25th January when it looked like he could nail down the right wing spot, but he has failed to provide a goal or an assist in nine matches since that run.

Daizen Maeda has also been an option on the right flank, but the Japan international has failed to score or assist a goal in his last ten appearances in all competitions, and has only scored seven goals from 11.53 xG in the Premiership.

Celtic, therefore, are clearly in need of a right winger to come in and finally replace Kuhn because Forrest is a veteran back-up, Maeda has underperformed significantly in front of goal, and Yang has lacked consistency in his play in the final third.

Celtic showing an interest in Premiership winger

The Scottish giants seem to agree that they need to bolster their options in that area of the pitch, because they are reportedly interested in a Premiership right winger.

According to the Celtic Way, the Hoops have an interest in signing Motherwell winger Elijah Just when the summer transfer window opens for business at the end of this season.

If the club can get a deal over the line for the New Zealand international ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Just could end Yang and Maeda’s respective careers at Parkhead.

As aforementioned, Yang has struggled for consistency and Maeda has been incredibly wasteful in front of goal, and they could be on the chopping block in the summer if the next permanent manager wants to reshape his attacking options.

Signing Just from Motherwell would provide the next boss, whether that is Martin O’Neill or an external replacement, with a winger who has more to offer to the team out wide than those two forwards.

The 25-year-old star, who was described as a “sensational” signing for Motherwell by Sky Sports pundit James McFadden, has proven himself to be an effective performer at Premiership level.

He has scored six goals from 5.37 xG in the league for Motherwell this season, which is a far more impressive finishing rate than Maeda’s seven goals from 11.53 xG for the Hoops.

Just’s statistics in comparison to Yang also suggest that he would be a big upgrade on the South Korea international, having scored more goals and created more than four times as many ‘big chances’ in the league.

Whilst there are no guarantees in football and his form may not continue in the same way at Celtic, the Motherwell star’s statistics this season indicate that he would be the best right winger at Parkhead if he signed in the summer.

Just is a more effective finisher than both Maeda and Yang and offers way more creativity than the latter, who plays in the same position, and his arrival in Glasgow could put both of their futures at the club in doubt.

If the New Zealand international comes in to be the first-choice out wide for the Scottish giants, the two current Hoops players may have to consider whether or not to move on in the summer window.