That nagging sense of complacency was somewhat put to bed following Saturday’s thumping 5-1 win at home to Kilmarnock, with Champions-elect Celtic surging into a four-goal lead inside 25 minutes to nudge themselves even closer to a fourth successive Premiership title.
Such an emphatic result represented a perfect response following the shock defeat to bottom side St Johnstone a week earlier, with manager Brendan Rodgers having stated his players may now be “too comfortable”, amid a run of three defeats in six league games.
Even amid the weekend win at Parkhead, however, Rodgers’ point still stands, with the Northern Irishman suggesting that “change is needed”, having outlined his desire to “improve the team”.
The Hoops did notably move to bring Jota back to the club in January, albeit with that switch seeing Kyogo Furuhashi head to Stade Rennais in the opposite direction, with the Old Firm side still needing to strengthen, rather than merely seeking to plug the gaps.
Thankfully, as far as Rodgers is concerned, it would appear that work is already being done on bringing in fresh faces ahead of next season, with rumours rife regarding the Glasgow side’s interest in Million Manhoef.
Why Celtic are targeting Million Manhoef
As reported in recent days, the Hoops appear to be among the clubs interested in signing the Stoke City sensation this summer, with the 23-year-old having dazzled across the last year or so in the EFL.
The suggestion is that Rodgers has set his sights on signing the winger amid the need for increased depth in the attacking ranks, with Honduran forward Luis Palma set to depart permanently at the end of the season, following his current loan stint at Olympiakos.
It was not revealed how much the Dutchman would cost this summer, albeit with Celtic likely hoping to strike a deal for close to the £3m fee that Stoke paid to snap Manhoef up from Vitesse Arnhem back in February 2024.
The Netherlands U21 international has made his way onto Rodgers’ radar amid his sparkling displays for a struggling side of late, with the right winger registering ten goals and assists for the Championship side in all competitions this season.
With 15 goal involvements in total for the Potters in 49 outings – after previously racking up 30 in 88 games in Holland – the in-demand forward has that golden touch in the final third, with the hope being that he can kick on again should he move to Glasgow.
There will also be optimism that Manhoef can follow in the footsteps of another exciting, left-footed winger who has since dazzled in green and white.
Celtic have struck gold on ‘breathtaking’ star
Whether it has been the lack of competition at the summit, or their cruel exit from the Champions League, it’s fair to say that Celtic have somewhat stepped off the gas in recent weeks, amid those defeats to Hibernian, Rangers and the Saints.
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Among those who have looked particularly off the boil in 2025, in general, is Nicolas Kuhn, with the 25-year-old – who did score in the second-leg clash with Bayern Munich – having failed to find the back of the net in the league since early February.
Such a drop-off is certainly a reason for concern – with Chris Sutton pinpointing the German’s ‘attitude’ as a potential problem – although it shouldn’t overshadow what has largely been a stunning campaign for the wing wizard, amid his return of 36 goals and assists in just 45 games in all competitions.
Who can forget his stunning brace against RB Leipzig, or that finish on the break against Bayern? Yes, his form has slumped of late, but at his best, the former Rapid Vienna star truly is “breathtaking”, in the words of pundit Marvin Bartley.
Regardless of his impact in recent months, it still appears that Rodgers and co struck a bargain by managing to land Kuhn from his former employers for just £3m during the 2024 winter window, with reports already linking him with a £25m exit to the Premier League.
|
Kuhn vs Manhoef – League stats (2024/25) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (*per game) |
Kuhn |
Manhoef |
|
Games (starts) |
28 (21) |
31 |
|
Goals |
10 |
5 |
|
Assists |
8 |
4 |
|
Big chances created |
10 |
10 |
|
Big chances missed |
9 |
9 |
|
Key passes* |
1.7 |
1.6 |
|
Pass accuracy* |
76% |
79% |
|
Successful dribbles* |
1.9 |
1.5 |
|
Possession lost* |
11.3 |
13.4 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
That would represent a mammoth profit on a player who had actually only recorded seven goals and ten assists in 51 games during his time in Vienna, thus boasting a similar record to what Manhoef has achieved at Stoke.
Hopefully, if the Dutchman does link up with Rodgers this summer he can emulate the success of Kuhn on the flanks, although at present, it is clear to see who the superior talent is. Indeed, as per Transfermarkt, Kuhn is now deemed to be worth around €12m (£10m), while the Stoke star, by contrast, is currently worth just €3.5m (£2.5m).
As Rodgers has shown with the German to date, however, he could just be the perfect coach to nurture Manhoef and turn him into yet another exciting, young attacking talent for the Hoops.
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