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Bigger concern than Tounekti: Big-money Celtic star is becoming Nygren 2.0

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Published Sep 16, 2026, 7:35 AM GMT+1

Robbie is the Assistant Editor at Football FanCast, specialising in football analysis, transfer coverage and feature writing, with particular expertise in Manchester United, Celtic, Rangers and the wider Premier League and Scottish football.

A sports journalist since graduating from the University of Exeter in 2020, Robbie has spent more than six years covering professional football across the Premier League, EFL, SPFL and European competitions. His career has included news and feature work for 90min and more than a year covering the Premier League and Manchester United in particular at Football Faithful.

Robbie joined Football FanCast through the site's academy programme in 2022, progressing to the Exclusives team before becoming Assistant Editor in October 2023. His work combines original reporting, transfer insight, football analysis and informed feature writing, with a particular focus on understanding the context behind the latest news and what developments mean for clubs, managers and players.

He has developed extensive knowledge of Manchester United, Celtic and Rangers through regular coverage, while also bringing a broad understanding of the Premier League, EFL and Scottish football. His experience covering the game extends beyond the page, with a long-standing connection to Wycombe Wanderers that has seen him attend home and away matches for more than two decades.

Through his reporting and analysis, Robbie provides readers with credible football insight, informed transfer assessment and detailed coverage that goes beyond the headline, drawing on years of experience following clubs and competitions at close range.

If the debacle against LASK was a wake-up call for Celtic, Sunday's loss in the derby was a true alarm-bell moment, with Martin O'Neill suffering his first defeat in the fixture since returning to the dugout last year.

The men in green and white were outplayed and outfought by their Glasgow rivals at Ibrox, suffering a damaging result ahead of a pivotal week in the Europa League and the Premiership.

It's a case of back to the drawing board for O'Neill and co, with a replacement for Sebastian Tounekti on the left surely set to be the first port of call, following the Tunisian's half-time withdrawal on Sunday.

Elsewhere, too, the configuration of the midfield unit requires addressing, with Benjamin Nygren still leaving those of a Celtic persuasion scratching their heads at times.

Why Nygren remains such an enigma for Celtic

Daizen Maeda was the hero in the run-in last season for O'Neill's men, yet Celtic would have been nowhere without the goalscoring brilliance of Nygren, the £1.7m Swede proving such an astute addition.

His 21 goals in all competitions across 2025/26 included an array of exquisite finishes, memorably rifling in that free-kick away at Tynecastle, alongside his stunning, dipping effort against Motherwell in the penultimate Premiership contest.

As that latter strike showcased, the 25-year-old can pull a rabbit out of the hat when needed, already now up to 11 goals and assists this season too in just ten appearances.

And yet, the concern remains that in the biggest games, the selection of Nygren tends to backfire, particularly with Callum McGregor and Mika Baur behind him.

The lack of pace, athleticism and dynamism among that trio has now proved fatal against both LASK and Rangers, with Nygren notably failing to track Kevin Kelsy in the build-up to Rangers' first-half opener at the weekend.

His languid style looks so at odds with the rigours of such a fiercely contested match-up, with Celtic's midfield having been so easily bypassed again by Dan Neil and co.

Plenty for O'Neill to ponder moving forward, although it's fair to say Nygren isn't the only issue, particularly when looking to the forward line.

Why Celtic signing is starting to look like Nygren 2.0

The aforementioned Tounekti is the headline villain at present, the Tunisian toiling away at St Johnstone last Wednesday, prior to his swift withdrawal at Ibrox.

The 24-year-old isn't cutting it, although it would be unfair to lay the blame for Celtic's woes solely at his door, particularly in terms of the attacking unit.

Nygren, as already explained, went missing at the weekend, although as too did another of the club's Scandinavian imports, in the form of Kasper Hogh.

Considering the club-record investment in the Danish striker, his limp form may well provide an even bigger concern than that of both Touneki and Nygren, having been viewed as the man to solve Celtic's centre-forward woes.

£11m invested in a player who has still only scored in one game for the club makes for grim reading, with that swift hat-trick against Kilmarnock proving something of a false dawn on current evidence.

Indeed, viral footage after that 5-1 win showcased McGregor warning Hogh and Auston Trusty to keep their feet on the ground, no need to be getting carried away just two Premiership games into the season.

As ever, the long-serving skipper was right, with Hogh, albeit while impacted by injury, yet to score again, struggling to replicate the prolific form he showcased at Bodo/Glimt.

In a similar vein to Nygren, the 25-year-old looks like someone who will, eventually, score goals for the club, but his all-round game leaves plenty to be desired, so often looking awkward or cumbersome.

On debut against Dundee, for instance, the Scandinavian spurned a handful of chances and produced a mixed bag of a performance, stumbling over himself on occasion while seeing far too many flicks and tricks go astray.

Duran & Hogh vs Dundee

Duran

Stat

Hogh

78	Minutes	90
52	Touches	28
86%	Pass accuracy	38%
12	Ball lost	13
	Key passes
	Shots	4
N/A	Big chances missed	1
2/5	Succ. dribbles	0/0
1	Progressive carries	1
2/5	Ground duels won	1/4
0/1	Aerial duels won	4/7

Like Nygren too, Hogh's lack of speed and athleticism at the top end of the pitch is a real concern, the Dane unable to stretch the play as the aforementioned Maeda did so successfully at the tail-end of last season.

It is why there's a real case for Camilo Duran to take on the number nine berth instead, or even young Shim Mheuka, the teenager looking like such a handful in his cameo appearances so far.

Hogh, as his 54 goals in 103 games for Bodo showcased, is a supreme goalscorer and poacher, but when that gets taken away, his physical, all-round shortcomings are well and truly exposed.

Like Nygren again, that was the case against both LASK and last time out, with there also the issue of playing the pair together, even if they have struck up an off-field friendship already.

The £11m man has thus given O'Neill a headache to solve, and while Tounekti is public enemy number one right now, the woes of Celtic's leading number nine shouldn't be overlooked.

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