There’s a lot of excitement about Nicolas Kuhn coming to Celtic, but is this guy quality, or another project?
Eric Knott 
NurPhoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images
A lot of people are starting to get excited about the impending signing of Nicola Kuhn.
Me, not so much.
Kuhn has just turned 24, on New Year’s day in fact, which makes him pretty young, and what I would class as borderline project.
Until he came onto our radar, you would have to say he was relatively unknown in these parts.
Reports say that the asking price for him is around £3 million.
£3 million?
What is Celtic’s fixation with that number?
It seems that we have a policy where we will rarely offer more than that for a player.
That aside, looking at Kuhn’s stats, up to this point, he hasn’t exactly set the world alight.
He has starred at all underage levels for Germany, and he has played extensively for both Ajax and Bayern Munich’s youth setups, prior to that, he was in youth setups of St. Pauli, Hannover 96, and RB Leipzig.
But he never actually made the grade at either Ajax or Bayern team when it comes to first team football.
In 2020, Bayern Munich clearly saw something in him when they signed him from Ajax, but not enough for him to break into the first team set up.
In 2021, he was loaned out to FC Erzgebirge Aue in Bundesliga 2, where there was an option to buy him.
This option was not exercised as Erzgebirge Aue were relegated to Liga 3.
Kuhn scored 3 goals on the wing, while making 27 appearances.
He returned to his parent club in May 2022, where it was decided he was surplus to requirements, and he was sold to Rapid Vienna for €500,000.
He plays predominantly on the right wing, and so far this season, has scored 2 goals for Rapid Vienna.
Now, you have to imagine that Celtic have scouted this guy for a while, and that we believe he can do a job for us.
You would also have to imagine that Brendan Rodgers sees the “quality” in him that he requires.
But the real question here is this, will Kuhn be a Rodgers signing, or will he be a Lawwell signing?
Well, I guess that’s something we’re not going to know until he’s actually unveiled, if he’s unveiled, and then we see what he can do on the field of play.
I understand that you cannot entirely base a player’s ability on his stats, but you have to admit, Kuhn’s stats don’t exactly make for hugely impressive reading.
His highlight reel on Youtube looks impressive, but then again, most of these reels only show the best highlights of a player, and you can’t really judge a player based on 5 minutes of highlights.
YouTube: Nicolas Kühn – Half Season Highlights | 2023/24
Looking at the highlights, he does seem to possess lightning pace, and he also has good close ball control.
His final ball also seems to be pretty accurate.
These are both attributes we’ve been lacking on the wing of late.
While Palma is a good crosser of the ball, he doesn’t have great pace.
Maeda, on the other hand, has the pace, but lacks that killer ball, and first touch control.
I can only assume that this is why Rodgers, if he’s Rodger’s man, wants to bring him to Celtic.
However, the £3million price tag makes me think there’s Lawwell involvement in this.
Call me skeptical, but I’ve seen this number so many times before.
I’ve also seen the end result of signings in the region of £3 million in recent times.
Boli Bolingoli, who also played for Rapid Vienna, the less said about him the better.
Patryk Klimala.
Gustav Lagerbielke.
Alexandro Bernabei.
Eboue Kouassi.
That’s £15+ million worth of £3 million players who made little or no contribution to Celtic.
£15+ million wasted, not including their wages for the duration of the time they were at the club.
So, forgive me if I’m showing some trepidation when it comes to another £3 million valued player.
Maybe I’m totally wrong here?
I hope if we do sign Kuhn, that he makes me eat my words.
Believe me, I want every player who comes to Celtic to be a success.
I just can’t help the fact that I’m not totally blown away by this prospective signing.
Either way, we still have to get his signature across the line, don’t we?
Otherwise, all I’m doing is speculating.
So, lets see if Kuhn is number one of at least 3 or 4 in this window.
After him, we still need a keeper, and a left back.
But we’ve known that for ages, haven’t we?
Aodhán Ó Conchobhair 
He certainly doesn’t have the experience that I was looking for this window… And another winger?! Thought Brendan had his fill of them last time he was here, unless there’s truth in the Abada rumours… In which case that would be replacing yet another proven quality player with an unproven and relatively untested player… Not what we need right now to get this league tied up.
We have had since the summer to get this window right, why to god haven’t we had players identified and signed on January 1st? The fact we haven’t done so also stinks of Lawwell, hope I am wrong but looks like managed decline ptII, this time it’s personnel !
Setting it on fire ain’t we..I had a good a right good look at this boys stats..looks to me I have more due diligence than yer man lawell.
Hope I eat my words but reeks to me yet again
For me he’s another project Eric, he’s been at some big clubs but done virtually nothing. As you say he’s only been in B squads or reserve teams and he’s not exciting me in the slightest. The board are taking us for mugs and if Rodgers doesn’t get what he wants I can see him walk away again and who could blame him. Lawell senior should never have been allowed back in the building and his son hasn’t got a clue on a player just like he himself didn’t. Desmond’s not giving a f**k about the support and unless we get two or three more impressive signings in then he and his board will be facing a full scale mutiny starting on February 1st. I’ve got no confidence in the board or the head of recruitment and if Ibrox gets this title there will be he’ll to pay.
Nasty remark Rodgers signing or lawell Rodgers has is scouts watching this man for a number of games lawell snr is there to chair the board meetings abd qill having nothing to do with signings I think you give this man to much important in running in Celtic we have Desmond jnr well capable of being our chief executive lawell Sir is chairman cause of his respect he has around European football in Celtic we trust
Kuhn was trying to mix it with some of the best players and best clubs n Europe , how many goals has Meada and Yang scored??? . I’ll go again …why did Kyogo score so many goals last season ….Ans. we had pace on the wings. Unfortunately Palma dos’nt have pace on the left and on the right side for a lot of the season …”a Joke”. The top teams want “Pace and Goals in a player and will spend crazy money to get it. Like Meada and Kuhn we can only afford pace most of the time. Imagine if in the summer window we had just brought in 4 tried and tested players instead of 8 or 9 projects oh my God and we have the G/B fighting wars instead of putting there energy towards the board
Lawell sorry is chairman because he has the highest respect in business world and around fifa and eufa its his status Rodgers would not allow what lennon allowed khunn has speed helps out his right back that’s why Johnston has been below par you can see with maeda back he has got a bit of form back kyoko isn’t the service players aren’t hitting the byline and cutting it back how nany crosses from right hits the first defender we are in spl if you by a player for £10,000,000 his wages will be around £70,000 a week yes I’d like to qualify for the next round of champions leaque or be in Europe after Europe but I’d also like Celtic F.C 1888 not liquidated club ask the huns how it feels to have a broken history no matter what the died
Anticipation,Hope,and only God knows. What has changed. Players transfers is steeped in greed.
Don’t forget the £5million failures aswell,ajetti and barkas there’s another £10 million walked out the door for free,celtic wasting the champions league m9ney,trust me the cash can go fast
Jack
says:
11th January 2024 at 10:07 pm
Lawell sorry is chairman because he has the highest respect in business world and around fifa and eufa its his status Rodgers would not allow what lennon allowed khunn has speed helps out his right back that’s why Johnston has been below par you can see with maeda back he has got a bit of form back kyoko isn’t the service players aren’t hitting the byline and cutting it back how nany crosses from right hits the first defender we are in spl if you by a player for £10,000,000 his wages will be around £70,000 a week yes I’d like to qualify for the next round of champions leaque or be in Europe after Europe but I’d also like Celtic F.C 1888 not liquidated club ask the huns how it feels to have a broken history no matter what the died
===============
Full stop and commas would help.
Surely you aren’t naive enough to swallow all the shite that the fat controller spouts about being thankful that we never died like the huns?