Deadly Kuhn and Maeda Celtic combo outgunning £35m Ange duo but acid test still awaits Brendan Rodgers' fliers

Nicolas Kuhn is being tipped to be Celtic’s next mega-million pound star.

Daizen Maeda has been tagged best in the world by his manager. As Celtic prepare to get back to business, Brendan Rodgers’ jet-propelled pair aim to keep the champions speeding along. The importance of Kuhn and Maeda to the squad is being shown, not just in performances but also in some startling bare facts.

As Rodgers started out his second reign in charge, one of his biggest tasks was to fill the void vacated by the £25million loss of Jota. His departure for Saudi Arabia put a massive chunk into the coffers but also took a gaping chunk out of the squad. Jota’s sidekick during the Ange Postecglou era was of course the Aussie’s first signing after his arrival. Liel Abada, just like his partner on the opposite side, made an immediate impact and as well as assisting Kyogo Furuhashi, made his own huge contribution.

But the Israeli left for the MLS during last season for another deal which was worth in the region of £10m to Celtic. By Postecglou’s second term the trio were a well-oiled machine, tearing defences apart and generally making mayhem.

With Abada not participating and Jota gone, one of the biggest issues Rodgers faced upon his return was recreating that energy, threat and goal return from wide. In terms of pure numbers, the boss has done it through the Japanese and his January signing Kuhn. Two seasons ago, at this stage of the term with Celtic having played their first 11 games, the magical past duo had bagged 10 goals.

Jota netted four from 10 appearances, Abada had six in 11 outings. Looking right now, both as a collective and individually, Maeda and Kuhn are outgunning those specific figures.

After 11 games of this season, the current