Is Celtic’s transfer model fit for purpose? Part Three – Nawrocki, Yang and Kenny

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·9 de julio de 2025

Is Celtic’s transfer model fit for purpose? Part Three – Nawrocki, Yang and Kenny

In the past few days I have been writing articles focusing on transfer activity not just involving the current situation at Celtic but also transfers involving some of our more recent former players who are once again on the move after leaving Glasgow in the past year or so.

I will be also looking at the wider picture and trying to assimilate whether or not our transfer model is currently failing.

OneFootball Videos

Nicolas Kuhn on his way to Como. Photo social media

On Monday I focused on the imminent transfer of Nicolas Kuhn to Como, one where I felt we have failed to get as much for a star player as we should have. Yesterday I looked at how certain players are now worth a lot more after leaving Celtic, even though they haven’t made much of an impression since leaving to pastures new.

Maik Nawrocki trägt ab sofort das 96-Trikot. (Foto: 96/Redaktion)

This brings me on to some of the players rumoured to be moving on during this window and what realistically we should be looking to receive in transfer fees. The first one I’ll start with is Maik Nawrocki who has recently departed for Hannover 96 in the German second tier. Nawrocki has left on a loan which to me is a sensible option but putting in an option to buy might be a mistake.

There is an ever increasing chance that Brendan Rodgers may be departing at the end of the season so why not loan him out for a year and give whoever the new manager is a chance to look at him in pre-season next summer?

The loan with an option to buy deals are something I will be focusing on in my next article, as I think we are often losing out on money by adding this option. The fee required to sign Nawrocki permanently isn’t available to the public at the moment but I guarantee it’s less than we paid for the big Pole when we signed him a couple of years ago.

Yang leads the celebrations. St Mirren v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Saturday 1st March 2025. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The next player who I’m going to focus on is Yang Hyun-Jun. Rumours a week ago surfaced that Polish club Legia Warsaw were interested in purchasing the winger although no fee was mentioned in any reports I read. What sort of money should we realistically be looking for Yang? Well, although he splits opinion with Celtic fans, there is no doubting that he’s a young player who is constantly improving.

This past season he registered six goals and six assists which isn’t bad considering he only played just over 1300 minutes. His stats are actually better than both James Forrest and Jota for last season, two players who had played similar minutes although some of Jota’s minutes were obviously at Rennes before his move to Celtic. That will perhaps surprise some people, especially as the other two are revered amongst the Celtic support while Yang is often derided.

Yang scores. St Mirren v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Saturday 1st March 2025. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Yang has also worked his way into the South Korean national team and made a few appearances for them over the past year. As I say this all points to a player who is improving, and it seems Brendan Rodgers hasn’t given up on him yet either. I think Yang would be worth keeping around next season although if he is to leave it should be on a loan basis.

It feels like there is still potential for improvement with Yang and a year playing regularly in a decent standard league could be the making of him. If Celtic are to sell him however it’s important we don’t let him go cheaply. An international who’s career stats are going in an upward trajectory shouldn’t be going for anything less than £4.5m.

Johnny Kenny scores in the Scottish Cup final penalty shoot out defeat to Aberdeen. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

I’ll move on now to another player who has been rumoured to be on his way out at Celtic, Irish striker Johnny Kenny. Recently it’s been reported that Bolton Wanderers have had a 500k bid for Kenny turned down which i agree with 100%. I was shocked reading some fans assesment that we should have taken that money and run. Kenny is worth way more than a measly £500,000. That’s the type of money you get in a development fee for a youngster leaving who hasn’t even got near the first team.

Johnny Kenny, like Yang, is a player on an upward trajectory. He is improving every year and has been receiving plenty of praise from people who see him up close and personal regularly, including Brendan Rodgers and Callum McGregor. He is on the cusp of making it into the Ireland squad and did wonders for his reputation whilst on loan at League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers, scoring five goals in the Europa Conference League which was hugely impressive. Since coming back to Celtic he has got a few opportunities to show his talent in the first team and hasn’t looked out of place.

Johnny Kenny scores in the Scottish Cup final penalty shoot out defeat to Aberdeen. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Brendan Rodgers has talked about him going out on loan and again I think that’s a great idea as long as the team he goes to is right and that he comes back next season to be re-evaluated. Dismissing a young player with so much potential would be a mistake by Celtic, such lowball bids like the one from Bolton Wanderers shouldn’t even be considered.

If he was to leave Celtic should be looking to get no less than £2.5m for him. If Celtic were interested in a young striker who had scored five goals in six games in the Europa Conference League we wouldn’t be expecting to get him on the cheap.

Tomorrow I will be looking at our recent history in outgoing transfers and wondering if we are making some glaringly obvious mistakes, especially in the loan with an option to buy category that I have mentioned earlier.

Conall McGinty

Help raise funds for Celtic Youth Academy by playing the Celtic Pools Weekly Lottery and you could win up to £25,000. The lottery is £1 per week. Click on image above to join.