Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers has not enjoyed the best start to his second spell at Parkhead since his return to the club over the summer.

Australian manager Ange Postecoglou opted to move to the Premier League to join Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and this opened the door for the Northern Irishman to make a comeback in Glasgow.

However, the former Leicester City and Liverpool boss has already seen his team knocked out of the League Cup, which was won by the club's rivals against Aberdeen on Sunday, and the Champions League this season.

The Hoops have also struggled domestically as they have lost their last two Scottish Premiership matches and only won two of their last five.

They will be second in the division if Rangers win both of their games in hand over the Bhoys, which emphasises how poorly this campaign has gone so far.

One player whose downturn in form on an individual level has been clear to see is Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi and Rodgers could swoop to sign an upgrade on the attacker in January.

Celtic transfer news – Mathias Kvistgaarden

Brondby star Mathias Kvistgaarden has been linked with a possible move to Parkhead at the turn of the year and he could come in to spark the club to life.

Danish outlet Tipsbladet recently claimed that the Hoops are eyeing up a swoop for the young centre-forward as Rodgers would like to bring in some fresh faces in his attack ahead of the second half of the season.

The report also stated that it could cost the Scottish giants a fee within the region of €10m (£8.6m) if they want to snap him up next month.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic are prepared, or able, to meet that figure. At this moment in time, the latest update is that they are interested in the Danish prospect and there is no mention of a bid or formal approach being plotted.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk reported last month that Brentford and Union Berlin are both eyeing up Kyogo as a possible target for the January transfer window as they look to bolster their respective attacks.

The outlet claimed that it would take around £20m to tempt the Hoops into a sale as the Japan international is a crucial player for Rodgers and Celtic, in spite of his dip in form.

However, the Scottish side do not need to sell Kyogo in order to sign Kvistgaarden, unless the finances dictate it, as they could compete with each other for a starting spot and create fierce competition for places.

The current Hoops centre-forward has left a lot to be desired, particularly recently, with his performances so far this season and bringing in an attacker who could be an upgrade on him may provide the motivation he needs to get back to his very best in a green and white shirt.

Kyogo's season in numbers

Celtic's 5 foot 7 marksman has not been a consistent attacking threat at the top end of the pitch and has not been able to make up for his lack of physicality.

Small in stature, Kyogo is not the type of number nine who is going to let centre-backs know that they have been in a game with physical or rough play to win duels and hold the ball up.

He has lost 73% of his aerial contests and 54% of his duels in total, and has only won 1.4 battles per game in the Premiership so far this term.

This shows that the 28-year-old lightweight has not made his presence felt on the pitch as opposition players have been able to dominate him with ease.

To counter that, Kyogo has contributed with six goals, three assists, and 0.7 key passes per game in 18 league matches for the Scottish giants, and does not rank within the top two in any of those statistics within the Celtic squad.

As you can see in the chart above, he also struggled in the Champions League with two goals, zero assists, and zero 'big chances' created in six starts.

Whereas, the Japanese whiz made up for his lack of physicality last season with a stunning return of 27 goals in 36 Premiership outings – 16 more than any of his teammates managed as Jota finished second in the rankings with 11 goals.

Kvistgaarden could now come in to offer more quality in the final third and physicality that the Celtic ace has been unable to provide for the team.

The statistics that show why Celtic should sign Kvistgaarden

The 21-year-old talent is an up-and-coming marksman whose form for Brondby since the tail end of last season has been sensational.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed his "crazy form" earlier this year and it is not hard to see why when you look at his statistics for the Danish outfit.

Since the start of the 2022/23 Superligaen Championship round, Kvistgaarden has plundered 13 goals and 11 assists in 30 appearances for the club.

This is a particularly impressive return for a player who only turned 21 back in April. He is in the infancy of his career and is already showing that he has the ability to chip in with goals and assists with eye-catching regularity.

Appearances

17

Goals

Five

Assists

Five

Big chances created

Six

Big chances missed

Nine

These statistics show that Kvistgaarden has more goal contributions in fewer league appearances than Kyogo so far this season, which speaks to his superb attacking quality.

However, the young prospect also offers a physical presence in the number nine position, despite standing at 5 foot 8, and that is another reason why he could be an upgrade for Celtic.

The Brondby star has won 5.1 duels per game, including 1.2 in the air, for Brondby in the league this term, and this is 3.7 more per match than Kyogo.

This means that Kvistgaarden could provide his teammates with an outball and something to hit when they need to relieve pressure on themselves, whilst also being able to carry a huge threat as a scorer and a creator.

Therefore, Rodgers could land an upgrade on the underperforming Kyogo by securing a deal for the Brondby dynamo's services in January.