Celtic were dealt a big blow earlier this month when Nicolas Kuhn officially completed a move to Serie A side Como for a reported fee of £16.5m.
The German forward, 25, produced 13 goals and nine assists in the Scottish Premiership for Brendan Rodgers last season, which means that the club have lost a scorer and a creator of goals.
Kuhn’s exit has left a hole in the squad in the right wing position ahead of next season, but the Hoops also have a hole to fill on the left flank because Jota may be out until the start of next year with a knee injury.
According to the Daily Record, Celtic are set to push to sign Belgian forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha on a permanent deal to take up that place on the left wing.
The report claims that the club have been in talks with Royal Antwerp in recent weeks and that they are now hopeful that a deal can be struck for the 24-year-old attacker.
Why Balikwisha would be an exciting signing for Celtic
Balikwisha would come in as a like-for-like replacement for Jota as another right-footed left winger who likes to drift inside onto his favoured foot to score and create goals.
The 24-year-old talent has caught the eye with some impressive performances in the Pro League for Royal Antwerp, and his statistics suggest that he would be an exciting player for supporters to watch at Parkhead next season.
Starts
27
12
xG
6.46
2.65
Goals
7
4
Big chances created
6
7
Key passes per game
1.5
1.6
Assists
5
3
As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha is a winger who offers a threat in front of goal as a scorer, whilst also creating three chances every two games on average.
This shows that the Belgian sensation is constantly looking for that killer pass to provide his teammate with a high-quality chance to score, which means that fans could get excited when he gets the ball at his feet, knowing that the forward will be aiming to make something happen.
The Royal Antwerp star did miss 29 matches through injury last season, though, so there may be some concerns over whether he will be available week-in-week-out, but his form in Belgium suggests that the forward will be an exciting player when fit.
If Celtic are able to strike a deal for Balikwisha in the coming days, there is still a hole to be filled on the right flank after Kuhn’s departure and the club are reportedly keen on a winger who would be just as exciting as the Belgian whiz.
Celtic in the race to sign free agent forward
According to Football League World, Celtic are among a number of teams that are interested in a deal to sign Tyrhys Dolan on a free transfer this summer.
He has been a free agent since his contract with Blackburn Rovers expired at the end of last month, and there is a fairly long list of suitors aiming to sign him.
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The report claims that Celtic, Rangers, Bristol City, and Espanyol are all among the contenders to secure a deal for the right-sided attacker in the coming days or weeks.
It adds that he has strong interest from several unnamed clubs in the English Championship and that he has had offers from teams overseas, alongside the four teams mentioned in this latest report.
This shows that there is plenty of competition for his signature and that the Hoops will need to move swiftly and convincingly to secure his signature ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Why Celtic should push to sign Tyrhys Dolan
The Scottish Premiership champions should push to win the race for Dolan’s services this summer because he would be a valuable signing who would be just as exciting as Balikwisha at Parkhead.
Despite the modern trend of inverted wingers cutting in onto their favoured foot, the English forward is a right-footed player who predominantly plays on the right wing, which means that he could fill the spot left by Kuhn’s exit in that position.
Dolan is a versatile player who is not limited to one position, though, as he has also started 18 or more career games as a left winger, a right winger, an attacking midfielder, and as a striker, showing that Rodgers would be able to call on him in a multitude of roles.
His durability is also something that may be attractive to Celtic. The 23-year-old star has not suffered a single significant injury in his career, to date, and has already racked up 210 first-team appearances for Blackburn, playing 44 of their 46 league games last season.
Dolan’s performances for Blackburn, in a midtable team that failed to make the play-offs in either campaign, also suggest that he would be an exciting player for supporters to watch in action in the Premiership.
Appearances
36
44
Touches per game
37.6
38.1
Goals
5
7
Conversion rate
15%
14%
Big chances created
7
7
Key passes
40
44
Assists
4
6
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old talent has scored 12 goals and created 14 ‘big chances’ in the last two seasons in the Championship, and has been unfortunate to only register ten assists from those 14 ‘big chances’.
These numbers may not be mind-blowingly amazing, but they are impressive within the context of him playing for an average team in the Championship, because at Celtic he would be in a dominant team that puts him in more positions to shine in the final third.
Dolan, once praised as “outstanding” by former manager John Eustace, could thrive in a team that has won their domestic title in each of the last four seasons, in the same way that Balikwisha could do on the opposite flank.
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Both players have shown potential as both scorers and creators of goals from their respective wing positions, which is why both of them would be exciting signings if the club can pull them off.
