Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn has been admired by Newcastle United - but he is set to move to Germany, rather than England, this summer.
Kuhn had emerged as a potential target for Newcastle United this summer as they search for a winger. Miguel Almiron’s departure in January has left Eddie Howe’s side short of options in that area of the pitch, although Jacob Murphy’s stunning form ensured that wasn’t too harshly felt on the field of play.
According to reports in the Mail in February, the Magpies had scouted Kuhn during Celtic’s defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The report also stated that Kuhn had been previously scouted by Newcastle United as they looked set to ramp up their interest in the winger.
However, it appears that they will have to look elsewhere to strengthen their wide options, with Kuhn set to move to the Bundesliga instead of St James’ Park.
Nicolas Kuhn transfer ‘advanced’
According to reports from Kicker in Germany, RB Leipzig have swooped for the 25-year-old’s signature. They report that a move is ‘at an advanced stage’ and that the Red Bull outfit will pay around £15m for Kuhn’s signature.
Kuhn enjoyed a very impressive campaign in Scotland last season, scoring 21 goals and registering a further 15 assists in 51 games in all competitions and will return to a club he spent time at as a youth player. Kuhn, who is yet to be capped at senior level by Germany, played for Leipzig’s U17 and U19 sides before being signed by Ajax in 2018.
However, he was unable to impress in the Netherlands and moved back to Germany, joining the youth setup at Bayern Munich, in 2020. An 18-month spell at Celtic, though, has convinced Leipzig, so often a club who sign players to develop and sell on for great profit, to move for their former player.
Newcastle United’s winger search
So where does all this leave Newcastle United? Kuhn was likely never at the top of Newcastle’s list for a winger this summer, but he likely would have been a cheaper option a few spots down to bolster their squad.
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Anthony Elanga, of course, has been heavily-linked with a move to St James’ Park this summer and will be one to watch as the window progresses. Joao Pedro, who may not be a natural right winger but instead someone that can play across the forward line, is also admired by Newcastle United.
Both players, though, will likely cost at least double, and probably three times as much as someone like Kuhn this summer. Striking that balance between buying players with Premier League experience that can hit the ground running but paying more for them against a riskier move for talent from abroad with little or no English top-flight experience is a tightrope that the Magpies must walk this summer if they are to strengthen their squad as well as ensuring they do not overspend and risk their ability to sign players in future transfer windows.
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