Celtic won the Scottish Premiership title and the League Cup trophy during the 2025/26 campaign, but missed out on the treble with a loss to Aberdeen on penalties in the SFA Cup final.
It was a successful season for Brendan Rodgers and his men, despite the final loss at Hampden Park in the final game of the campaign, and that was owed, in part, to the quality of the squad.
Nicolas Kuhn was one of the stars who propelled Celtic to two trophies with his contributions at the top end of the pitch, with 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this term.
His form was particularly impressive when you consider that his reported wage of £12k-per-week does not make him one of the top earners in the squad.
Noteworthy Celtic players who earn more than Nicolas Kuhn
As per Capology, James McCarthy (£14k), Anthony Ralston (£14k), Luis Palma (£16k), and James Forrest (£19k) earn, or earned in McCarthy’s case, more than Kuhn.
They combined for 12 league starts between them, whilst Palma was sent out on loan to Olympiacos for the second half of the season, and the German winger managed 21 starts on his own.
Meanwhile, Maik Nawrocki, who played three times in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, is also on a weekly wage of £12k at Parkhead, which suggests that Celtic are not getting value for money on their wages with several members of the squad.
Another centre-back who reportedly earns more than Kuhn is Gustaf Lagerbielke, who Lecce chief Pantaleo Corvino claimed is on £13k-per-week, and Rodgers must finally axe the flop this summer.
Why Celtic must sell Gustaf Lagerbielke this summer
The Hoops swooped to sign the Swedish central defender from Elfsborg for a reported fee of £3m in the summer of 2023, and it is fair to say that things have not gone to plan for him so far.
He only made ten appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales established themselves as the first-choice pairing.
Speaking about Nawrocki and Lagerbielke’s lack of game time last season, pundit Ewan Cameron claimed that they were not Rodgers’ signings, saying: “He (Rodgers) doesn’t fancy them. He doesn’t rate them.”
|
23/24 Premiership |
Gustaf Lagerbielke |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
7 |
|
Starts |
4 |
|
Pass accuracy |
85% |
|
Clean sheets |
3 |
|
Error led to goal |
0 |
|
Duel success rate |
72% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
The Swedish defender’s lack of game time in the Premiership that season, as evidenced in the table above, backs up that claim from Cameron, as Rodgers very rarely relied on him.
Celtic’s manager then opted to allow the 25-year-old flop to join FC Twente on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, and it has been another fairly frustrating year for the centre-back.
Lagerbielke did start 15 Eredivisie matches, playing more than he did for the Hoops, but was also an unused substitute in five of the club’s last six regular season games.
This shows that he has failed to nail down a regular spot as a starter in the Dutch top-flight out on loan, which does not suggest that the £3m dud is coming back to Parkhead this summer in a position to push on and fight for a place in Rodgers’ starting line-up.
The Northern Irish boss decided to go with Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Scales, and Nawrocki ahead of him in the squad this season, and Lagerbielke’s struggles abroad indicate that the manager made the right call.
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Therefore, Rodgers must, now, finally ditch the defender on a permanent basis, if there is sufficient interest from elsewhere to facilitate a deal, because he does not appear to have a bright future in Glasgow and earns more than one of the team’s biggest stars in Kuhn.
