Celtic have enjoyed a largely brilliant start to the 2024/25 campaign and remain unbeaten in domestic competitions, in the League Cup and the Scottish Premiership.
They have won both of their cup clashes so far, reaching the semi-finals of the tournament, and have won all seven of their matches in the top-flight – conceding just one goal in the process.
The Hoops also won their first match in the league phase of the Champions League, smashing Slovan 5-1 at Parkhead, before they were hammered 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in their second outing, which is their only loss of the season to date.
Brendan Rodgers has masterminded this strong start to the campaign after being backed by the Celtic board during the recent summer transfer window.
He was able to bring in Alex Valle, Paulo Bernardo, Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, and Luke McCowan to bolster his options across the pitch, although Danish star Matt O’Riley did depart to join Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Scottish giants smashed their club-record transfer fee to sign Engels from Bundesliga outfit Augsburg for a reported fee of £11m, and the club could now find an exciting partner for him by landing a Premiership star they have been told to look at.
Celtic urged to target Premiership starlet
GoRadio pundit Jamie Murphy has urged the Premiership champions to consider a swoop for Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller in an upcoming transfer window.
The ex-Rangers and Sheffield United winger, who currently plays for Ayr United, believes that the Scotland U21 international is a “terrific” player and should be someone who is on the radar of the biggest clubs in Scotland.
Murphy claims that Celtic and Rangers should “definitely” be eyeing Miller up as a target to bolster their respective squads, as he believes that they should explore Scottish talent before they decide to invest in players from abroad.
Speaking on GoRadio, as transcribed by 67HailHail, “He’s been terrific. To come in the way he has, settle into the team, and almost be the main man at that age is really, really difficult to do, so it is no wonder why teams are looking at him. I expect him to move on sooner rather than later.
“He’s the type of player both Celtic and Rangers should be looking at. Look at the best players in Scotland first and foremost before you go to a foreign player. That is where the bread and butter is. You want to have those players you can develop and play over time. I think both teams should definitely be looking at Lennon Miller.”
As Murphy says, Miller would be a player who could come in and grow whilst playing week-in-week-out for the Hoops, as he only turned 18 in August.
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The Scotland U21 international is a teenage star who could come in and improve with experience and coaching during his time at Parkhead, to grow as a player and increase in value to potentially be sold on for a profit in the future.
He could be the future of Celtic’s midfield alongside summer signing Engels, who only just turned 21 last month and is a player for the here-and-now as well as for the future.
Arne Engels' start to life at Celtic
The Belgium international has hit the ground running at Paradise after the club decided to heavily back him by smashing their club-record transfer fee to bring him to Glasgow in the summer transfer window.
Despite his age and inexperience, Engels has quickly adapted to the physicality of Scottish football with a ground duel success rate of 64% and an aerial battle success rate of 75% in his four league appearances so far, which shows that he can handle himself in physical contests with experienced Premiership defenders.
The 21-year-old star also made a fantastic start to his European career at Parkhead with a goal, an assist, and six tackles won in the 5-1 win over Slovan in the Champions League, as he showcased his quality in and out of possession in the middle of the park.
Along with his strong show of physicality in the Premiership, the former Augsburg starlet has also shown glimpses of the impact he can make on the ball for the champions.
Appearances
4
Sofascore rating
7.38
Goals
1
Key passes
5
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, Engels has created five chances for his teammates in the top-flight but has yet to be rewarded with an assist for his efforts.
The Belgian whiz, who also recorded an assist in the 7-1 loss to Dortmund, has caught the eye with his impressive performances so far, but this is only the start of his career with the Bhoys.
He still has plenty of time left to develop and improve, at the age of 21, and could grow into being a star player for Rodgers, potentially alongside Miller.
Why Celtic should sign Lennon Miller
Celtic should take Murphy’s advice and pursue a deal to sign the Motherwell sensation when the January transfer window opens for business, as he could be a superb long-term addition to the playing squad.
In the 2023/24 campaign, the then-17-year-old ace started 20 matches in the Premiership, as he made his breakthrough as a regular fixture in the side, and caught the eye with 6.0 ball recoveries per game and a duel success rate of 68%.
Winning 68% of his physical contests against experienced, senior, midfielders week-in-week-out at the age of 17 is nothing to be sniffed at, as it shows that he is already able to dominate opposition players at such a young age.
He also, as you can see in the clip above, showcased his quality in possession with a sublime assist against Celtic for Motherwell last season, brilliantly beating Callum McGregor in the build-up.
Miller has also enjoyed a fantastic start to the current campaign in the Premiership and has done enough to suggest that he has the potential to offer more than Celtic’s current starter Reo Hatate.
Appearances
7
7
Goals
2
2
Big chances created
4
4
Key passes per game
2.4
1.6
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.4
1.3
Duel success rate
52%
47%
As you can see in the table above, both players have made the same impact in terms of goals and ‘big chances’ created, but the teenager has offered far more defensively and made more key passes per game.
The Scotland U21 international could arrive at Parkhead and provide the team with more physicality and defensive awareness in the middle of the park, whilst retaining a big threat in the final third, by replacing Hatate.
Therefore, Engels and Miller could emerge as a brilliant midfield pairing with their respective strengths in and out of possession and potential to improve further, which is why Rodgers should swoop for the 18-year-old phenomenon.
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