Celtic want to sign “dangerous” £6.7m star for Nancy

The Strange Case of Benjamin Nygren. On paper, the Sweden international has been one of Celtic’s most impressive players, scoring seven goals in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt.

However, he failed to fully impress in a Hoops jersey due to his all-round performance. In the Europa League, for example, he scored two goals and missed a whopping five “big chances” in five appearances, according to Sofascore.

Meanwhile, in the Scottish Premier League, Nygren completed just 35% of his attempted dribbles, completing 0.5 per game on average, which shows how difficult he can sometimes appear when trying to push the ball forward in midfield.

Celtic want to sign a new attacking midfielder

While the left-footed star will continue to be a useful player for Wilfried Nancy, given his goals this season, the Hoops could replace him as a regular starter amid interest in a new signing in his position.

According to the Daily Record, Celtic are interested in signing Cruz Azul midfielder Mateusz Bogos ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Scottish giants wanted to sign the Poland international from Los Angeles in 2024 ahead of his move to Mexico at the start of this year, and they remain keen to agree a deal for the 24-year-old star.

She adds that Bogos wants to move away from Cruz Azul, after 11 months at the club, and this indicates that Celtic may have a chance to sign him next month.

However, it remains to be seen how much the Mexican side want for the former Leeds star, who joined them from Los Angeles for a fee of around £6.7m last January.

Why should Celtic sign Mateusz Bogos?

The Hoops must push for a deal to be done for Bogusz, who wants to move away from his club next month, as he could come as an upgrade over Nygren.

It will be a bit risky for the Scottish giants, as the attacking midfielder has had a difficult time in Mexico, scoring three goals and providing seven assists in 39 appearances, according to Sofascore.

He has been an unused substitute in three of Cruz Azul’s last four games, which is why he is keen to leave next month, but his form with Los Angeles FC before moving to Mexico suggests there is a hidden gem out there for Celtic to discover.

As previously reported, Celtic wanted to sign Bogos during his time in Los Angeles, and if he can return to the form he showed in MLS last year, the 24-year-old star will be an upgrade on what Nygren has shown on the pitch in the Premier League this season.

In the 2024 MLS season, the Polish attacking midfielder scored 16 goals and eight assists in 36 matches, according to Sofascore, earning him a big-money move to Cruz Azul.

As you can see in the table above, the former MLS youngster’s form at Leeds suggests he has the potential to offer more as a creator and dribbler compared to Nygren, while scoring goals at a similar rate.

Bogusz has been described as a ‘dangerous’ player by journalist Greg Beacham, which these stats back up, and he could be a dangerous player for the Hoops if they can help him regain that form after a difficult year with Cruz Azul.

At the age of 24, the Polish international should not be dismissed after a poor season in Mexico, especially when you consider how impressive his form has been in MLS.

Bogusz is a more dynamic attacking midfielder than Nygren, whose dribbling skills leave a lot to be desired, and can impress the fans at Parkhead more than the Swedish star, while scoring goals almost as frequently.

Related to

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Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy could drop Benjamin Nygren mercilessly by unleashing the superstar against St Mirren.

In conclusion, signing Cruz Azul may be a risky deal, given his form this year, but the upside is that he could be a huge upgrade for Negrin if they can get him back to his best.