Perfect player or not, Benjamin Nygren has almost single-handedly led Celtic’s title fight, scoring six in the last seven Premiership games following the defeat by Hibernian at the weekend.
With 18 in all competitions, the Swede is the club’s top goalscorer this season, with no other player even hitting double figures.
And the division’s top goalscorer, the former Nordsjaelland man may have his critics, but he is in league form and arguably the only consistent striker in Martin O’Neill’s absence.
Considering he was snapped up last summer for just £1.7m, the left-footer could be considered yet another bargain at Parkhead, in the ranks of Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda before him.
Unsurprisingly, Nygren’s value has risen since that summer move, having emerged as one of the few prospects in a turbulent campaign for the Glasgow side.
Nygren’s rising market value at Celtic
Having signed the likes of Hatate, Maeda and Matt O’Riley in recent times under Ange Postecoglou, Nygren represents one of the few genuine transfer success stories of Brendan Rodgers’ second spell.
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The Australian is now free to hire.
The return of the Northern Irishman was followed by a significant mis-spend, whether he did it or not, whether it was the £9.5m invested in Adam Idah in 2024, or the £5m bought in the forgotten striker, Michel Ange Balikwisha, in 2025.
Idah is gone and Balikwisha looks set to follow suit, although Nygren is happy to stay in green and white, at least not until 2026.
Whether it was his stunning free kick at Tynecastle or his crucial equalizer on his return from Rugby Park, the 24-year-old has been among Celtic’s standout moments this season, particularly under O’Neill’s watch.
Not only is he dangerous on the ball, he’s also played creatively, registering three assists and creating five ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, while getting 1.4 key passes per game.
As a result, Celtic’s investment of £1.7m now looks like a real return, with Transfermarkt seeing that Nygren is worth in the region of €6.5m (£5.5m), ensuring the club is likely to make a huge profit if they cash in any time soon.
The resurgent Celtic star is now more important than Nygren
It’s no secret that it’s been a terrible 12 months or so for the Parkhead recruitment scene, with Nygren being one of the few arrivals to be considered a success.
There have been flashes from Sebastian Tounekti following his 2025 arrival, including the Tunisian’s surprise performance against Kilmarnock, although the most consistent impact has come from summer signing Kieran Tierney.
Like Nygren, the academy return has been a bright spark in the club’s turbulent campaign, picking up where he left off following his first move to Glasgow in 2019.
That £25m move to Arsenal did not go as planned, as the 28-year-old was plagued by injuries and ended up playing as a left-back in his final days at the Emirates, although his return to Celtic has been very fruitful on an individual basis.
Signed on a free transfer, at one point looking close to joining Rodgers last January, Tierney is now “back to his best” in O’Neill’s view, returning to the level he was at before moving to England seven years ago.
While there are still concerns over his fitness, having been ruled out of 11 of 24 Premiership games this season, it is pleasing that the 53-gamer has made 40 appearances in all competitions so far.
After a role under Mikel Arteta, starting just four times in 2024/25, Tierney is back on fire, leading Celtic with 11 assists this time.
|
Tierney – The season so far |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Games |
Terms (Help) |
|
The Premiership |
24 |
3 (7) |
|
The Europa League |
9 |
0 (1) |
|
The Scottish Cup |
1 |
0 (0) |
|
League Cup |
4 |
0 (3) |
|
Eligibility for UCL |
2 |
0 (0) |
|
Total |
40 |
3 (11) |
That stick of the left foot flourishes again, with Tierney picking out Nygren with a delicious cross that was whipped in at the weekend, ensuring the left-back now has the most assists in the division (seven).
Interestingly, Nygren’s four goals this season have now been scored by Tierney, the pair proving something of a lethal combination.
Considering he was snapped up on a free, the defender represents one of Celtic’s rare recent success stories, a fact further underlined by his current market value of €8m (£7m).
Of course, Tierney would have loved to return to the good times in Glasgow, but given the difficult few years he endured in England, it’s great to see such an undoubted talent flourishing again.
The Celtic star is now the biggest loanee since Carter-Vickers and is a must-sign
It’s been a difficult period of recruitment for Celtic, but one loanee stands out above the rest.
