Celtic have been in fantastic form so far this season and have an opportunity to win their first piece of silverware with a League Cup final clash at Hampden Park on Sunday.
The Hoops are set to face off against Glasgow rivals Rangers in the final and Brendan Rodgers will be hoping to lift the trophy for the first time since his return to the club last year.
His side were knocked out by Kilmarnock in August of 2023 and Philippe Clement went on to win the competition, beating Aberdeen in the final, as Rangers boss.
Rodgers now has a chance to put things right and secure the trophy this time around, and his team’s domestic form so far this season suggests that he has a good chance of doing so.
Celtic have won 14 and drawn one of their opening 15 matches in the Scottish Premiership, and have already beaten Rangers 3-0 at Parkhead in the division.
The Hoops have also only lost one of their six matches in the Champions League so far this season, which shows that they have been strong across all competitions.
Despite their fantastic form domestically and in Europe, Celtic are still, reportedly, active ahead of the January transfer window that is set to open for business next month.
Celtic interested in Ajax youngster
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, as relayed by Sport Witness, Celtic are one of a number of clubs lining up a swoop for Ajax central midfielder Benjamin Tahirovic ahead of the second half of the season, as Rodgers looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park.
The report claims that Greek giants PAOK and Serie A teams Fiorentina and Lazio are also keen on snapping up a deal for the 21-year-old talent next month, which shows that there is plenty of competition for his services.
It states that the former Roma gem turned down a move to English Championship team Coventry City in the summer transfer window, which frustrated Ajax and has led to restricted minutes this season so far.
The outlet adds that Tahirovic is now keen to move on from the Dutch giants and is looking to seal an exit from the Eredivise side when the January transfer window opens for business, although there is no mention of how much Ajax would demand in order to sell him.
However, it reveals that the Bosnia international, who recently changed agents, is hoping to secure a move back to Italy to play in the Serie A, which means that the Hoops will need to convince him to abandon that dream to come and play in Scotland.
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Rodgers could repeat the masterclass he played with Nicolas Kuhn by beating the likes of PAOK, Lazio, and Fiorentina to his signature next month.
Celtic's Nicolas Kuhn masterclass
The Hoops swooped in to sign the German forward from Austrian side Rapid Vienna for a reported fee of £3m, shortly after his 24th birthday in January at the start of this year.
Kuhn had played for RB Leipzig, Ajax, and Bayern Munich at youth level before, as he put it, taking a step back in order to take two steps forward by moving to Austria.
The left-footed winger produced seven goals and ten assists in 51 matches in all competitions for Rapid Vienna, including two goals in 16 league outings during the first half of last season.
Kuhn was then snapped up by Celtic in January and was given time to settle into life in Glasgow, with just two goals and two assists in 14 matches during the second half of the Premiership campaign.
Appearances
13
Goals
5
Big chances created
7
Assists
6
Key passes per game
2.3
As you can see in the table above, the German ace has already produced three more goals and four more assists in one fewer appearance in the league this season, which shows how much he has thrived since having a few months to adapt to the league.
Rodgers bringing Kuhn in during the January window meant that he could have that settling in period and the forward is now thriving, with 11 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this term, as a result of that.
The manager could now find his next version of the ex-Bayern Munich youngster by bringing Tahirovic in to follow a similar path at Parkhead next year.
Why Celtic should sign Benjamin Tahirovic
At the age of 21, Celtic would be signing a young player with potential to improve and he could benefit from going through the same experience that Kuhn had, by playing a bit-part role in the second half of the season to adjust to the country and league.
That could, then, allow him to hit the ground running with a pre-season under his belt when the 2025/26 campaign rolls around, as he would already be used to the Premiership, Rodgers’ tactics, and his teammates.
During his time at Roma, Jose Mourinho claimed that the youngster had “incredible potential”. This speaks to the kind of talent he has as the Portuguese manager has worked with some great players, including the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, and Eden Hazard, among many, many, others.
The 21-year-old gem has only played once in the Eredivisie this season but his form last term suggests that the quality is there for him to be a promising signing for Celtic.
Appearances
26
Pass accuracy
89%
Assists
4
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.3
Ball recoveries per game
5.1
As you can see in the table above, Tahirovic, who was 20 for most of the campaign, was a regular for Ajax in the Dutch top-flight and showcased his quality as a box-to-box midfielder.
He was reliable with the ball at his feet with a pass accuracy of 89%, which placed him within the top 4% of midfielders in the division, which suggests that the youngster is suited to playing in a dominant Celtic team, that requires midfielders to be comfortable in possession.
Tahirovic has the potential to combine fantastic passing with creativity and a presence defensively, which could make him a brilliant all-round midfielder if he can develop and gain consistency in his performances.
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Therefore, Rodgers could find Kuhn 2.0 by bringing the Bosnian dynamo to Parkhead in January to settle in for five months before kicking on next season.