Michael Nicholson has faced no shortage of criticism over Celtic’s transfer business, but the agreement to sign Kasper Høgh represents a major show of ambition from the chief executive and the club’s hierarchy.
It is a major piece of business and should go some way towards answering questions about whether Celtic are willing to push the boat out for their main targets.
Nicholson and the board have often been accused of taking too long to complete deals, especially when negotiations become difficult. This move shows Celtic are ready to pay a serious fee for a player they believe can improve Martin O’Neill’s squad straight away.
Daizen Maeda’s move to Ipswich Town has left a big hole in the Celtic attack. His goals, pressing and ability to play across the front line made him one of the most important players in the squad.
Instead of simply keeping the money from his sale and looking for a cheaper replacement, Celtic have moved to reinvest in a striker with a strong record in Norway and Europe.
Høgh will not replace everything Maeda brought to the team, but he would give Celtic another proven attacking option alongside Camilo Duran and promising youngster Callum Osmand.
Duran arrived earlier this summer with Champions League experience after scoring five goals in the competition last season. He has also started well in Glasgow, finding the net in each of his first two pre-season appearances.
Adding Høgh would give O’Neill two senior forwards who have already shown they can score at European level.
Osmand would then provide another option after showing his promise during last season’s title run-in. The young striker still has plenty of development ahead of him, but he has already proved he can make an impact when called upon.
Celtic were criticised for allowing Kelechi Iheanacho to leave, but Høgh would be a clear upgrade based on his age, recent form and future value.
The Denmark international arrives with confidence, experience and room to improve. He also fits the type of player Celtic have often looked for: someone who can contribute now while still carrying potential resale value.
That is at the heart of the club’s trading model.
Celtic will sell players when the right offer arrives, but they will also look to use that money to improve the squad without putting the club’s finances at risk.
Maeda’s departure helps cover the cost of signing Høgh, allowing Celtic to bring in quality while keeping the books in a healthy position.
With several other players attracting interest this summer, the same approach could be tested again before the window closes.
Should Celtic decide to sell another key player for the right price, the Høgh deal shows they are prepared to put serious money back into the team rather than simply weaken the squad.
Supporters want Celtic to show ambition, especially when Champions League football is at stake, but the club also has to avoid spending in a way that causes problems later.
Nicholson’s role is to make sure Celtic remain competitive while protecting the club’s long-term position.
Agreeing an £11 million deal for Høgh suggests the Hoops are willing to go beyond their usual range when they believe a signing is worth it.
It also shows that an important departure does not have to mean a drop in quality.
The pressure will remain on Nicholson to complete more business before the window closes, but a forward group of Høgh, Duran and Osmand would leave Celtic in a stronger and more balanced position than they were at the start of the summer.
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6 responses
Get real. One moe signing does not get Nicholson off the hook. He is still totally incompetent and should still get to f××k.
this is an absolutely wild opinion.
its literally took him since January to get this deal done.
so, we still need a left back to replace saraachi, a right back seen as the drop in quality from johnston to donovan/ralston has never been more apparent than last season, a left winger to replace maeda, a right winger to replace kuhn, a first choice keeper, 2 centre mids to replace the inevitable hatate and engels sales
but aye, we have struggled to get a boy from body over the line so let’s all now suddenly have confidence.
mental
how’s the kitchen floor looking? yi know we the tiles yi just glued down before yi wrote this pish🤣
Great signing but in reality after selling Maeda it’s costing £1m so go easy on the back slapping for Nicholson.
He’s got plenty of work still to do and quality is the key with just over 1 week to the start of the season we are still in precarious position which is all this boards own doing which is a joke
he waited until maeda was officially off the books before paying up for a player who should have been signed sooner. the invisible man wage thief has answered nothing he needs to leave the premises ASAP.
And how is the Baur from Paderborn move going?
Ah yes, deal has hit the inevitable “snag” i.e. we lowballed the selling club yet again.
That sums up Nicholson and our board who have taken months to sign 2 players when we need at least half a dozen and they should have been in the door before pre-season training.