Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will be targeting even more success in the 2025/26 campaign after his side failed to clinch the domestic treble this season.
The Hoops won the Scottish Premiership title and the League Cup, beating Rangers on penalties in the final, but they lost to Aberdeen in the final of the SFA Cup last month.
Celtic also reached the play-off round of the Champions League, in which they were knocked out by German outfit Bayern Munich, and they may want to go further in the European competition next term.
The Scottish giants will be in the market to bolster their squad in order to improve their trophy haul next season, and they have already dipped into the market to make one new signing.
Left-back Kieran Tierney will officially sign for the Hoops on a free transfer at the end of the month, when his contract with Premier League side Arsenal expires.
Six years on from his move to The Emirates from Parkhead, the Scotland international is returning to Glasgow to be Brendan Rodgers’ first-choice left-back.
Why Kieran Tierney is a good signing for Celtic
The Scotland international is set to fill a hole for the Scottish giants because Greg Taylor is out of contract and is yet to put pen to paper on an extension at Paradise.
This means that Tierney will walk in as the immediate first-choice left-back to start week-in-week-out when available for the Hoops in the 2025/26 campaign and beyond.
The 28-year-old star could be a terrific addition for the club because, as evidenced in the graphic above, he has already proven that he can deliver in the Premiership, winning five titles during his first spell at Paradise.
Tierney knows what it takes to play for Celtic, having come up through the youth system, and could deliver a big threat as a creator down the left flank, given his 37 assists in 170 matches from a left-back position the first time around.
This suggests that the free transfer could be a very good signing for Celtic, because he is a known quantity who could hit the ground running next season, but there are some concerns over his fitness issues.
24/25
1
160
18
23/24
3
103
21
22/23
0
0
0
21/22
2
116
17
20/21
4
87
19
19/20
1
97
19
18/19
5
140
27
17/18
1
23
5
16/17
1
86
16
As you can see in the table above, Tierney has a less-than-assuring injury history throughout his career, spanning across his time at Celtic, Arsenal, and Real Sociedad.
This means that Rodgers may have to worry about whether or not he will be available week-in-week-out, which may take some of the excitement out of his arrival whilst there are still those concerns.
The Hoops are, however, reportedly on track to complete a deal for a player who would be an even more exciting addition than Tierney this summer.
Celtic expected to sign new forward
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, FC Nordsjaelland forward Benjamin Nygren is “expected” to complete a move to Celtic in the summer transfer window.
The reporter claims that Belgian giants Anderlecht expect the player to sign for the Scottish Premiership champions, after they held talks with the winger’s agents.
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Anderlecht understand that the 23-year-old attacker has decided to turn down a move to the Pro League in order to link up with the Hoops this summer.
This news is backed up by Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, who claims that Celtic have agreed terms with the Sweden international, beating off competition from across Europe.
If this move now goes through as expected, Nygren could arrive at Parkhead this summer as an even more exciting signing than Tierney for the club.
Why Benjamin Nygren is more exciting than Kieran Tierney
Positionally, a winger is naturally more exciting than a left-back from a fan perspective, as they are the players who get supporters off their feet by taking defenders on and delivering goals and assists on a regular basis.
At the age of 23, Nygren is also a young player with potential who could grow and develop over the years to come, whilst Tierney is heading into the latter years of his peak at the age of 28. This means that the Swedish star is also more exciting in terms of what he could go on to achieve in a Celtic shirt, and his possible resale value in the future.
The Sweden international, who Danish Scout on X claimed is a “no-brainer” signing for the Hoops, also has the quality on the ball to excite supporters with his play at the top end of the pitch from a right wing position.
xG
10.90
Top 4%
xG on target
16.95
Top 1%
Shots on target
40
Top 1%
Goals
15
Top 1%
xA
5.97
Top 8%
Assists
2
Top 50%
As you can see in the table above, Nygren is a lethal finisher who can outperform the quality of chances that are created for him, as evidenced by his 6.95 xG overperformance based on the quality of his shots on target.
This shows that he would provide an efficient presence in front of goal to find the back of the net on a regular basis for Celtic, which could make him an exciting player for the club as a huge attacking threat.
Nygren’s assist tally of two should be taken into context, too, because he had an xA of 5.97, which suggests that his teammates did not provide enough quality with their finishing.
The winger, who scored 15 goals in 28 Superliga starts, has shown the kind of impact that he can have at the top end of the pitch in domestic football, but also scored an eye-catching five goals in five Conference League matches during the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that he can also deliver on the European stage.
Unlike Tierney, the forward also has a promising injury record. The attacker has only missed 14 matches through injury since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, which means that Celtic can realistically expect count on him to be available most weeks.
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Overall, Nygren would be a more exciting signing than Tierney for Celtic due to his style of play, as a winger, his age profile and potential, his injury history, and his impressive statistics in Denmark.
