Celtic close to signing Nicolas Kuhn replacement as club desperate to sell

Celtic are in the midst of building for the new campaign and are now closing in on a winger who would provide a much-needed fresh face in the wake of a key departure, according to a report.

Nicolas Kuhn’s Celtic exit prompts frantic transfer movement

After 18 successful months in Glasgow, Nicolas Kuhn is joining Como from the Scottish Premiership champions in a deal that will see the Bhoys earn a tidy profit on the former Germany Under-20 international, who was brought in from Rapid Vienna for £3 million.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed the Celtic winger’s departure on social media platform X, stating: “Nicolas Kühn, on his way to Italy as he signs in as new Como player on €19m from Celtic. Agreement done as revealed last week and Kühn on his way with agent Fabian Dingler. Here we go, confirmed.”

Leaving Brendan Rodgers short of options out wide, the Bhoys have reacted by putting in a bid for Rapid Vienna star Isak Jansson, who could follow in Kuhn’s footsteps by leaving the Austrian Bundesliga side for Parkhead.

Their offer is said to be in the £2.5 million range, though an unnamed side have put forward a £3.4 million proposal for the Swede, potentially sparking a bidding war between interested parties.

Attacking reinforcements appear likely to arrive sooner rather than later, with Celtic also focused on deals for Kawasaki Frontale striker Shin Yamada and Napoli’s Giuseppe Ambrosino.

Following an end to last term that felt like a slight grind to a halt, new faces are needed to provide a spark once again and the Bhoys are now close to landing a key target, per recent developments.

Celtic close to signing Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha

According to Voetbalkrant, Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha is close to joining Celtic and Marc Overmars is keen to push through a deal swiftly so the Belgian Pro League outfit can begin to work on incomings.

Financially, Antwerp are in a position where they need to sell before they can buy, and it appears that the Bhoys are now on the verge of taking the 24-year-old off their hands for a ‘hefty sum’ of money.

Enjoying a productive campaign, Balikwisha registered four goals and three assists in 18 appearances across 2024/25. However, injuries have limited his scope to make a greater impact over the last couple of years.

Either way, Celtic are now set to land a key reinforcement out wide and one they have targeted for a long time, providing an injection of quality once Kuhn completes his move to Como.

Time is of the essence for the Bhoys ahead of their Champions League playoff tie in August, so fans will be waiting with anticipation hoping an announcement will soon follow.