Celtic have already been busy this summer, but this activity is only set to continue.
The main headlines are the fact that Nicolas Kühn has been sold to Como for a reported fee of £16.4m but, in more exciting news, Kieran Tierney has returned on a free transfer, six years after departing for Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Nygren, Hayato Inamura, Callum Osmand, and Ross Doohan have also arrived, as has a new striker, more on him in just a second, but could Brendan Rodgers be about to reinforce his attacking options further?
Celtic's search for a striker
On Saturday morning, ahead of a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United at Parkhead, Shin Yamada was unveiled as the Hoops’ latest summer recruit, arriving from Kawasaki Frontale for a reported fee of £1.5m.
The 25-year-old was the third-highest scorer in the J League last season with 19, accumulating a goal or an assist every 91 minutes, while also helping the Sky Blue and Blacks reach a first-ever AFC Champions League Final, dumping out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr en route.
Nevertheless, following Wednesday’s pre-season friendly victory over Sporting CP in the Algrave, Rodgers stated that he wants “to add [more] to our front line”, so could he be about to get his wish?
Well, according to reports in Romania, Celtic have seen a bid of around £6.9m rejected for CFR Cluj striker Louis Munteanu.
They add that the 23-year-old is valued at closer to £16m by the Railwaymen, while Ligue 1 duo Nice and Lille have also expressed ‘interest’ in signing him.
Munteanu is expected to be on the move this summer but, if he is to end up in Glasgow, it would require a sizeable fee.
How Louis Munteanu would improve Celtic
Munteanu was signed by Fiorentina as a teenager, representing I Viola’s Primavera side, but never in the first team, thereby returning to Romania with Farul Constanța, before joining CFR Cluj for around £2m last summer.
Well, safe to say he has impressed in Transylvania, scoring 26 goals in 43 appearances for Cluj, ending up the Romanian top division’s leading scorer, while also on target during a Europa League qualifying victory over Hungarian outfit Paksi FC at Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu as recently as last Thursday.
Goals
23
1st
Goals per 90
0.76
1st
Non-penalty goals
19
1st
Shots
115
2nd
Shots on target
57
1st
Shots on target %
49.6%
3rd*
*minimum 40 shots attempted.
These performances earned Munteanu international recognition, part of Romania’s squad for last month’s under-21 European Championships in Slovakia, scoring this absolute rocket against Spain at Národný futbalový štadión in Bratislava.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout documented the striker’s “amazing season”, while Ewan Paton of the National labelled his form ‘sensational’, having become the first player to reach 23 goals in a single Liga I season since Mihai Adam 51 years ago.
So how does he compare to Celtic’s latest striker signing Yamada?
Let’s find out.
Appearances
43
83
Minutes
3,052
4,212
Goals
26
26
Assists
3
8
All statistics below are on a per-90 basis.
Shots
3.8
3.28
Shots on target
1.88
1.43
Shots on target %
49.6%
43.5%
Big chances missed
0.52
0.63
Average Sofascore rating
7.22
6.72
Worth noting first and foremost that Munteanu’s statistics document last season while, because the J League runs from February to December, that is all of Yamada’s statistics throughout 2024 and 2025, hence why he made 40 more appearances.
Nevertheless, the Romanian’s statistics are more impressive, scoring the same number of goals but in almost half the number of appearances, while registering more shots and shots on target on a per-90 basis.
Thus, it is clear that Munteanu would surely be an excellent addition to Rodgers’ squad, even if Cluj are demanding a record-breaking Scottish transfer fee.
Celtic learn star player's one key demand as contract talks near resolution
The Bhoys could land a significant boost.
BySean Markus Clifford