Celtic central midfielder Reo Hatate has had a hot and cold season at Parkhead so far in 2025/26, as he has started two of the last four Scottish Premiership games and been on the bench in two.
According to SofaScore, the Japanese national team scored 11 goals in 47 games in all competitions last season, but has only scored three goals in 25 games this season.
His lack of goal contribution in the final third highlighted weaknesses in his game. According to Sofascore, the midfielder has lost 53% of his duels in the Premiership and makes just 1.1 tackles and interceptions per game, indicating that he is not contributing enough to the team at both ends of the pitch.
Celtic enter race to sign new central midfielder
The reigning Premiership champions are reportedly currently considering the possibility of adding a new player to their squad to replace Hatate.
According to Bould, Celtic are one of the teams vying to sign Hacken central midfielder Silas Andersen before the end of the January transfer window.
The report claims the Hoops are “lurking behind the scenes” as potential suitors for the Denmark Under-21 international as they aim to add more quality to Martin O’Neill’s squad by the end of the month.
He added that Rangers have already been approached about signing the 21-year-old talent and are in talks with Hacken to sign the midfield star, meaning Rangers are currently leading the race to sign him.
However, Celtic are waiting in the shadows with interest as one of a number of clubs keen on the ‘popular’ star, although it remains to be seen whether they will swoop in to seriously challenge their Glasgow rivals.
Previous reports have suggested his transfer fee is likely to be £7m, so it won’t be a cheap deal.
Why Celtic should make an offer for Andersen
The Hoops will have to make an offer to Hakken in order to compete for Andersen’s contract. That’s because the 21-year-old star could arrive at Parkhead as a major upgrade to Parkhead’s standard-bearer in the middle.
As mentioned above, the Japanese midfielder’s regression in attack has caused him to struggle defensively, and he has definitely lost his place as a starter in midfield.
Andersen’s performance at Hacken in the Allsvenskan for the 2025 season suggests that he could be able to join and offer more than a standard-bearer to the team, thanks to the great physicality he can bring to the side.
The Danish talent, described as “relentless” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, made the third-most tackles (84) and fifth-most interceptions (43) in the Allsvenskan last year, according to Sofascore, which shows how effective he is defensively.
He is an incredibly combative midfielder, as evidenced by his 192 duels won during the league season (FotMob). It is Hatate’s work out of possession that has been a struggle for him in the Scottish Premiership this season, which is why Andersen could come in as a key upgrade to his midfielder.
2025 Allsvenskan | andersen | Rank vs CM |
|---|---|---|
the goal | 2 | Top 19% |
Shah | 2.22 | Top 1% |
An opportunity has arisen | 26 | Top 1% |
dribbling success | twenty five | Top 1% |
tackle | 84 | Top 1% |
won a duel | 192 | Top 1% |
intercept | 43 | Top 1% |
Statistics by FotMob | ||
As you can see from the table above, Andersen ranks incredibly high among his positional peers in this department in a variety of metrics on and off the ball, which shows he’s not a one-trick pony.
The Danish star can influence the game at both ends of the pitch by winning tackles and duels at one end and scoring and producing goals at the other, something that has not been the case so far for the flag bearers in the 2025/25 season.
According to SofaScore, the Japanese national team has won 46% of their duels in this season’s Premiership, giving them 2.4 wins per match, but Andersen has won 59% of their duels and winning 7.4 wins per match in the 2025 Allsvenskan, showing the gap in physical and defensive quality between the two players.
According to SofaScore, Hatate also has one goal and two assists in 17 league games this season, while Hakken’s ace had two goals and two assists in 26 games last year, suggesting that there is not much difference in their offensive play.
Celtic are actively negotiating to sign another forward along with Tavi
Martin O’Neill is expected to be endorsed in January.
So Andersen could be a key upgrade for Celtic’s standard-bearer in midfield. Because while he has similar offensive characteristics, he has the potential to offer much more to the team as a physical and defensive presence in the middle of the park.
