Many of Celtic’s summer signings have failed to prove their worth this season.
But you could argue that one of the better players for Celtic this season, whether that’s under Brendan Rodgers, Wilfried Nancy or Martin O’Neill, has been Benjamin Nygren.
Nygren is the Premiership’s joint top-scorer, alongside Celtic transfer target Tawanda Maswanhise, with 11 goals.
That includes Nygren’s vicious free-kick against Hearts, as ten-man Celtic had to settle for a draw against the Premiership leaders over the weekend.
Despite the 24-year-old getting on the scoresheet again, Chris Sutton isn’t happy with what he is seeing.
Thoughts after six months of Benjamin Nygren?
Chris Sutton is critical of Benjamin Nygren
Celtic’s midfield just isn’t working right now. Even if you probably took Nygren out, it’s still an issue, and the transfer market might be needed to resolve some issues.
But despite Nygren showing his goalscoring touch, Sutton told The Warm-Up that he ‘hasn’t been a success’ in Glasgow.
The Swedish international joined the champions of Scotland from FC Nordsjælland for a transfer fee of £2 million.
But Sutton thinks Nygren ‘can’t run’, and even though he scored a stunning free-kick against Hearts, he went ‘missing’ for the rest of the match.
Steven Naismith felt otherwise, and he thinks that Nygren needs to be ‘starting’ matches under O’Neill.
Sutton: “Nygren, I think, technically, he is a good footballer. But I don’t think he can run. I don’t think he has the legs. And that’s an issue.
“Then you want quality from the wide areas, Yang and Maeda. I mean, Daizen Maeda against Hearts, he had his boots on the wrong way.”
Boyd: “We have had plenty of discussions regarding Nygren. The goal in midweek against Falkirk as well.”
Naismith: “He is a goal threat all the time.”
Boyd: “Do you maybe try to adapt the formation to try and get the best out of him. When you look back at your (Sutton) team. You had the two midfielders and one at the top of it.
“I know Celtic are playing with Callum McGregor sitting, and then maybe two forward. Do you maybe sit with two behind the ball, and then have Nygren where he can just get into the box.”
Naismith: “I think he needs to play because he is the biggest goal threat Celtic have got.”
Boyd: “He is the joint top scorer in the league.”
Naismith: “That build-up and the link-up against Hearts, it was scruffy. It wasn’t tidy or slick. But in the final third, he makes good runs and gets into good positions. He inevitably gets chances most weeks.”
Sutton: “Goal aside, he went missing for the rest of the game. That’s my issue. You may look at think, a couple of million. What do you expect in today’s market?
“I don’t think he has been a success at Celtic. I know you can look at the goals, and what have you. Martin will be demanding far more from his midfield players, and he will want more from Benjamin Nygren.”
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