Celtic have 3 in-form transfer targets but club can do business on its terms

Given Celtic’s impressive start to the season, it does not come as a huge surprise to their players emerging as signing targets for other clubs.

With the winter transfer window due to open on January 1, football clubs across Europe are starting to fix their sights on who can bolster their squads for the second half of the season.

Reports from Germany on Monday evening claimed that Celtic forward Nicolas Kuhn has already been the subject of enquiries from English Premier League outfits. The 24-year-old has been one of Brendan Rodgers’ most proficient players this season, scoring seven goals and laying on ten assists.

Celtic duo Nicolas Kuhn (centre) and Alistair Johnston (left) are two of the club's biggest assets. | SNS Group

Kuhn took a little time to settle at Celtic Park - not helped by by a wisdom tooth issue that affected his weight - but given his pedigree and pace, there was always hope that he would find his feet in Glasgow. A product of the RB Leipzig academy - the team that Celtic play on Tuesday night in the Champions League - and with Ajax and Bayern Munich on his CV, his progress was always going be tracked by recruitment teams.

Celtic spent a fee in the region of £3 million last winter to bring Kuhn in from Rapid Vienna in the Austrian top flight. They handed him a significant contract until the summer of 2029. Five-and-a-half year deals are not that common, certainly at Celtic. There was belief that they could protect what could turn out to be a prized asset.

Should any rival come calling in January, they can expect short shrift from the Celtic hierarchy. With a healthy bank balance already swelled by the £25m sale of Matt O’Riley to Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer window, there is absolutely no pressure on Celtic to cash in mid-season on a player like Kuhn.

Celtic is unlikely to be the final destination for Kuhn’s career trajectory. A player who had lost his way a little when it comes to the biggest stage, he is finding a platform to reignite his best form. At 24-years-old, he is approaching his peak years.

A fee of £10m was mooted in the German press as a viable asking price for Kuhn. This seems on the low side, particularly if he continues to post such strong figures. Pace is the most expensive commodity in modern football, something Kuhn has in spades.

Reo Hatate's progress is being monitored closely. | SNS Group

Celtic can certainly ward off any predators by progressing in the Champions League. Sitting on four points after three matches, any kind of positive result against Leipzig at Celtic Park on Tuesday would greatly enhance their chances of at least reaching the knock-out stages.

The promise of top-level European football for the rest of the season would surely assuage any itchy feet. Joining a mid-table EPL side in February is not as attractive as latter Champions League rounds and a tilt at the domestic treble, which feels very achievable for Celtic this term.

Kuhn will not be the last Celtic player linked with other clubs in the coming weeks. Midfielder Reo Hatate is also on the radars of several EPL sides too. Right-back Alistair Johnston is having an excellent season and his form is not going unnoticed. But on and off the pitch, Celtic are in a good place to deal with the situation on their terms.