Celtic to launch move to sign the SPFL’s “best player”

The end of 2025/26 no doubt belonged to Daizen Maeda, but it’s fair to say that it was Benjamin Nygren shouldering the goalscoring burden at Celtic for much of the season.

Plucked from Denmark on a bargain £1.7m deal, the polarising Swede emerged as a surprisingly prolific figure at Parkhead, doing the business time and again despite the woes of those ahead of him.

In all, the 24-year-old ended the campaign with 21 goals in all competitions, 16 of which came in the Premiership, a fine return for a player who hasn’t necessarily won over everyone due to his at-times awkward, languid style.

There have been whispers of a potential exit for the former Nordsjaelland man, amid Premier League interest, although even if he does stay put in Glasgow, there might well be competition for his starting berth next season.

Celtic expected to launch move to sign World Cup star

It’s been a lot of talk and little concrete action on the transfer front so far for the Scottish champions, with there still plenty of areas to address following a triumphant, yet turbulent season for the club.

Much of the focus at present appears to be centred on the centre-forward ranks, with reports earlier this week indicating that a potential club-record move for Elche’s Alvaro Rodriguez could be on the cards.

There does also appear to be one eye on those currently shining at the World Cup, with the Hoops seemingly eyeing a cut-price move for Bosnian midfielder, Ivan Basic.

The same could be said of New Zealand’s Elijah Just too, with the Daily Record providing the latest on Celtic’s interest in the exciting Motherwell man.

As per the report, club scouts have been watching the 26-year-old in action over the past six months, with the view to launching a summer move for him.

The expectation is that he will command a record fee for ‘Well if they do cash in this summer, although the only concern is that his international exploits may well spark something of a bidding war.

Why Just signing could spell bad news for Nygren

The array of goals that Nygren produced in his debut season in Scotland truly was breathtaking, be it his dipping free-kick away at Tynecastle in January, or that exquisite strike against Motherwell last month.

He boasts a stellar highlight reel, although it is difficult to shake those concerns over his mobility, the Scandinavian playmaker notably averaging just 0.7 successful dribbles per game last term, alongside just 1.3 tackles and interceptions per outing.

Just, another silky left-footer, certainly trumps him in that regard, having averaged 1.3 and 2.3 for those same two metrics, respectively, following a breakout year at Fir Park.

Like Nygren, he arrived from Denmark a year ago as a relative unknown, having actually been operating in the second tier of Danish football at the time.

Less than 12 months on, and the Kiwi is now a household name in Scotland, having also boosted his status significantly with a stunning performance on his World Cup debut against Iran.

Working in tandem off the physical focal point of Chris Wood, Just netted twice in that entertaining 2-2 draw, producing two delightful finishes to pick up where he left off at club level.

His tally of seven Premiership goals might have been well below Nygren’s 16, but he did register seven assists to the Swede’s five, while also bettering the Celtic man with regard to ‘big chances’ created (11 vs eight).

Operating either in a number ten role or off the right, much like Nygren, he is such a probing, creative presence, a delightful talent to watch when at his best.

Unsurprisingly, he was among the nominees for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award, and while that gong ultimately went to Hearts’ Claudio Braga, it is Just who actually looked like the “best player in the league“, as relayed by national team boss, Darren Bazeley.

That certainly speaks to just what a talent he is, with there a completeness to his game that Nygren simply doesn’t possess, even if not nearly as prolific.

Bringing him into the fold could help to bring greater balance too into that troublesome midfield unit, with O’Neill and co needing to act quickly if they are to avoid their extensive scouting from going to waste.