Rapid price hike to £10m overvalues Isak Jansson

Celtic have made an enquiry for Rapid Vienna winger Isak Jansson. It’s understood the Austrian club would be looking for a fee in the region of £10m.

@SkySportsNews understands a number of clubs in Europe’s top five leagues are also keen on the 23-year old.

David Friel of Scottish Sun, a reliable voice when it comes to Celtic-related info, reported over the weekend that Jansson, the Swedish winger currently playing for Rapid Vienna, was Celtic’s transfer radar. Although Anthony Joseph’s £10m reveal is significantly higher than the £3m quoted over the weekend.

Some supporters might immediately see the Rapid Vienna connection and ask – Is this another Nicolas Kühn-style signing? Fair question, with our right winger due to sign for Como any moment now – but the reality is that while Jansson and Kühn both arrived at Rapid via different paths, their profiles differ.

Kuhn was brought in to attack from the right, cutting inside onto his favoured left foot. Jansson, the reverse. He’s a left-sided forward who loves to cut in onto his right—a role that’s been lacking since Jota’s injury.

Jota might not feature again for Celtic until 2026, although there’s hope that a late 2025 return could be possible if the recovery goes smoothly.

In the meantime, Celtic need to plug the creative gap on the left. Luis Palma appears to have no future at Celtic and Yang hasn’t convinced anyone he’s anything more than a useful rotation option on either flank.

He has shown potential but not enough to be fully trusted. Meanwhile Daizen Maeda surely can’t return to the left wing, not now he’s shown his worth as a more than competent centre forward.

That leaves a real opening—not just for depth, but for meaningful minutes. And that’s feasibly where Isak Jansson could come in.

According to FotMob Jansson’s 2024–25 campaign with Rapid Vienna paints a picture of a player who’s still developing, but has the right ingredients:

Seven goals in 22 appearances (1,554 minutes) – solid return.

0.64 goals per 90 minutes, putting him among the top attacking percentile in Austria.

Two assists from 3.55 xA – not bad, but highlights room to grow in the final third.

25 key passes and 820 touches shows a player heavily involved in link-up and progression.

11 successful crosses, though cross accuracy sits low at 20%.

31.9% dribble success rate – active but can be loose under pressure.

In short, he’s busy, creative, goal-minded, and still a rough diamond. The kind of player who thrives with confidence.

Isak isn’t afraid to take a man on. He loves cutting inside, drawing defenders, and having a go. His work rate is high, he contributes defensively (50 ball recoveries, 60% tackle success), and his versatility—having also played centrally and on the right—makes him an ideal rotational option.

He fits the Rodgers mould: high energy, intelligent movement, and tactically adaptable. And in a squad needing fresh legs for Europe, domestic duty, and everything in between, he could get a good run of games—especially with Jota sidelined long term.

This isn’t a finished article however. Jansson needs to sharpen up in key areas. His final ball is inconsistent—those 2 assists could’ve been more with better decision-making.

He wins just 33% of aerial duels, so don’t expect him to bully full-backs. And his dribbling success rate, though active, still hovers around 32%, meaning he loses the ball often in tight moments. Still, these are traits that can improve—especially in a structured environment like Celtic’s.

Given the context of Jota’s injury, and Kühn’s imminent departure, Isak Jansson feels like a timely and targeted piece of recruitment. He offers cover, competition, and potential. And in this Jota transitional spell, that might be exactly what Celtic need.

Jansson not a guaranteed starter when everyone is fit, and he’d need time to adjust—but in a season where depth and flexibility will be key to navigating domestic and European demands, he could prove to be a timely addition, with a bit of patience afforded to him, over the course of a season.

But it all comes down to the fee, if Anthony Joseph’s figures are right. Would Celtic spend £10m on a winger who may end up being the supporting cast for Jota?