The Scottish Premiership table doesn’t lie, with reigning champions Celtic sitting pretty at the summit courtesy of a commanding 13-point lead over their closest title ‘rivals’.
That said, the shock 3-0 defeat away at Ibrox – as well as Tuesday’s thrilling 3-3 draw at Dundee – has shown that this Hoops side is far from the finished article, with Brendan Rodgers in need of further reinforcements if he is to kick on in the remainder of 2025.
While the midweek trip to Dens Park may have exposed the Glasgow side’s woes defensively, with Auston Trusty notably coming under fire from his manager, the attacking unit could also do with a fresh lick of paint, particularly amid reports that Luis Palma could be on his way before the month is out.
With Adam Idah having now failed to score in any of his last ten league outings – while Yang Hyun-jun has registered a measly total of six goals and assists in 49 total games for the club – the need for additional firepower is evident, with Rodgers far too reliant on the attacking trio of Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi. That triumvirate have netted 42 goals between them in 2024/25 in all competitions.
Thankfully, it would appear that new signings are set to lie in store for the Parkhead giants, all being well, with Rodgers and co seemingly looking to make a move for what could prove to be their next Jota…
Celtic's attacking transfer target
As reported by Daily Mail journalist Stephen McGowan, the Old Firm side are said to be weighing up a bid for Real Valladolid sensation, Raul Moro, with the 22-year-old also earning admiring glances from Ajax.
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As per the report, the Dutch outfit are yet to firm up their interest in the promising Spaniard despite publicly confirming their admiration for the young winger, thus offering Celtic the chance to pounce should they so desire.
Any deal this month would require a significant offer, however, with Valladolid having set an asking price of around £8.5m.
That figure would be just behind what Rodgers forked out for both Idah (£9.5m) and Arne Engels (£11m) over the summer, as well as with the £9m signing of Odsonne Edouard back in 2018, thus potentially making it one of the biggest deals during his time at Parkhead should it go through.
Celtic could land the next Jota
Whether Celtic can edge the mighty Ajax to Moro’s signature remains to be seen, although it is certainly an encouraging sign for Rodgers and Co to also be in the equation, with the £17k-per-week forward deservedly catching the eye of late.
Indeed, the fleet-footed talent has been earning rave reviews ever since his days in the Barcelona youth set-up, no less, with his agent Junior Minguella having previously said of his time at La Masia:
“He can make the difference. That’s shown by the fact that at Barcelona they compared him to [Lionel] Messi. Of course, it’s an exaggeration, but it lets you understand the kind of player he is.”
That likeness to the great Argentine stems most notably from Moro’s diminutive 5 foot 6 frame, as well as his elite dribbling prowess, shown by the fact that he averages 1.9 successful dribbles per game in La Liga this season.
Stat (*per game)
Jota (2022/23)
Moro (2024/25)
Games
33
18
Goals
11
3
Assists
11
1
Big chances created
13
4
Pass accuracy*
80%
75%
Key passes*
1.9
1.5
Tackles*
1.2
0.8
Interceptions*
0.4
0.5
Successful dribbles*
1.5
1.9
Possession lost*
14.5
11.4
To put that into context, as indicated above, former Celtic talisman, Jota, was ‘only’ averaging 1.5 in that regard during his final season in the Premiership, indicating just what a wizard Moro truly is down the flanks.
While the former Lazio starlet – who, like Jota, also primarily operates on the left flank – does only have three goals and one assist to his name thus far in 2024/25, it is worth remembering the relatively limited impact of Jota in the senior game, before his move to Glasgow.
The Portuguese sensation had scored just three goals and registered only two assists in 34 games for Benfica, while also, ironically, enduring a mixed loan spell at Moro’s current side, Valladolid, where he scored just twice in 18 appearances.
The 25-year-old would then go on to rip up Scottish football with 54 goal involvements in just 83 games in that famous green and white shirt, with Moro – who has 13 goals and assists in 50 games in total in Spain – boasting all the credentials to potentially emulate his fellow winger.
Rodgers does already have Kuhn and Maeda to call upon in those wide roles, yet, as mentioned previously, quality competition and cover certainly needs to be on the agenda.
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