Worth more than Maeda: Celtic have struck gold on "immense" star

Celtic have already wrapped up the Scottish Premiership title for this season and their main focus between now and the end of the campaign will be winning the SFA Cup.

The Hoops, who beat Dundee United 5-0 last time out in the league, can secure the domestic treble by beating Aberdeen in the final at Hampden Park later this month.

It has been a fantastic season for Brendan Rodgers and his men, and Daizen Maeda, in particular, has played a pivotal role in the club’s success on the pitch.

Daizen Maeda’s season in numbers

The Japan international, whether he has started out on the left or through the middle as a centre-forward, has enjoyed an incredibly productive campaign in front of goal.

As you can see in the graphic above, Maeda has racked up a staggering return of 44 goals and assists in 47 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, which shows that he has provided a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch for the Scottish giants.

At the time of writing (03/05/2025), the Japanese forward is valued at £9.3m by Transfermarkt, which makes him one of the most valuable players in the Celtic squad.

However, the Hoops have struck gold with another player who is currently worth even more than the 33-goal sensation, and that is Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Cameron Carter-Vickers

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the USA international on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £6m, after he had spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Parkhead.

Since joining the club on a permanent basis, the English-born colossus has been a key figure at the back for the Hoops and his value has soared well above £6m.

At the time of writing, the 27-year-old titan is valued at a whopping £11.9m by Transfermarkt. This means that his value has soared by millions, £100k short of twice as much as the £6m that the club paid for him, and that he is worth even more than Maeda.

As you can see in the table above, the American defender – whom club legend Chris Sutton has lauded as “immense” in the past – has been dominant in his physical duels and supremely reliable in his use of the ball, contributing to yet another league title for the club.

Celtic have, therefore, struck gold with the central defender because he is a brilliant performer on the pitch who is now worth millions more than the fee they paid for him, and worth more than a forward who has scored 33 goals this season.

Carter-Vickers, whose passing was dubbed “fantastic” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, was linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen in the January transfer window, and the Hoops may have a fight on their hands to keep hold of him in the summer if interest in his services carries over.

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