Celtic manager Martin O’Neill will be hoping his latest signing takes off, just as he did with centre-forward Tomas Kvankala at Parkhead.
The Czech international provided an assist for Yang Hyun-joong on his debut against league leaders Hearts and scored his first goal for the club in the last Scottish Premiership game against Falkirk.
Contributing two goals in two games is no mean feat for the Borussia Mönchengladbach loanee, who will hope to perform well enough to convince the club to activate his permanent transfer option.
Kvankala showed what can be achieved by locking in to make an immediate impact when given the chance, and was a perfect example for the team’s other new players to follow.
Celtic’s January signing rankings
As it stands, it’s hard to overlook that the 25-year-old star is the best signing the Scottish giants signed during the January transfer window, given his achievements already on the field for the Hoops.
Hopefully his header from Kieran Tierney’s cross in the 2-0 win over Falkirk will be the first of many to be celebrated in front of the Parkhead faithful between now and the end of the season.
Julian Araujo, first signing on loan from Bournemouth, is playing at right-back and looks like the second-best player at home in a Celtic shirt, averaging 1.8 tackles and interceptions in his five league games so far.
Of the three contracted players who have yet to debut, Junior Adam looks the most promising on paper. The Freiburg loanee has scored 32 goals for Liefering, St. Gallen and Red Bull Salzburg between 2020/21 and 2022/23, and could become a goal threat if he improves his form in Scotland.
Celtic’s January signing rankings | |
|---|---|
rank | player |
1 | Thomas Kvankala |
2 | Julian Araujo |
3 | junior adam |
4 | Joel, wake up |
5 | benjamin arthur |
Benjamin Arthur is ranked at the bottom of the table as the Brentford loanee could become the next Nat Phillips or Jamai Simpson-Pewsey, a loaned centre-back who would provide depth at that end of the bench.
Joel Mvuka, on the other hand, is ranked fourth for now as he doesn’t look particularly promising on paper. The 23-year-old right-winger has never scored more than three goals in a season at the top level and has made 15 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, registering no goals or assists.
Also working against the Norwegian forward is that the Hoops have another player in his position who has already hit the jackpot this season.
Celtic forward worth more than Joel Mvuka
Mvuka is valued at around £1.7m by Transfermarkt, but with O’Neill having a strong player on the right flank, it will be difficult for him to break into the team as a regular starter straight away.
Celtic hit the jackpot when they signed Korean winger Yang Hyun-joong. The 23-year-old has established himself as O’Neill’s first choice right-winger following some impressive performances in recent weeks.
Mvuka joins on loan from Lorient and the club have been linked with former Arsenal and Liverpool star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who can play on the right, but the former Gangwon prodigy has secured that position.
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Young really showed that he is a star player for the Hoops with a goal in the 3-1 defeat to Rangers that journalist Josh Bunting described as “absolutely brilliant”.
The 23-year-old attacker has since scored against Dundee United and league leaders Hearts, taking his tally to six in all competitions, equaling his total for the entire 2024/25 season, with four months still left in the season.
Jan has scored four league goals in the Premiership, more than Mvuka has scored in the league in his entire career, and his total of six goals is twice as many as the Norwegian attacker has scored in a season.
date | Transfer market evaluation |
|---|---|
July 2023 | £600,000 |
September 2023 | £1.3m |
December 2023 | £1.7m |
December 2024 | £1.7m |
March 2025 | £2.2m |
December 2025 to present | £2.2m |
The Korean national team player’s rapid rise in market value during his time in Glasgow is testament to the hard work he has put in, as he has emerged as a valuable member of the team since his transfer from Gangwon Province in the summer.
According to Transfermarkt, he is currently worth £500,000 more than Mvuka, and their respective statistics this season and throughout his career do not suggest that the Lorient winger will settle into the team any time soon.
That’s why Mvuka doesn’t look like an overwhelming addition to the team, and why Celtic hit the jackpot with Jan, who continues to impress.
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