Celtic are thought to be interested in Italian U21 international Giuseppe Ambrosino, with reports emerging that the Hoops are looking to work out a loan with a buy option.
However, journalist Keith Jackson believes Brendan Rodgers will be pushing for a more senior striker before the window closes.
The Hoops have already added to the striking ranks. Young striker Callum Osmand has taken the step up from Premier League 2’s Fulham to Celtic, and it’s thought he’ll be playing first-team football this season.
Speaking on tonight’s RecordSport live show, Jackson acknowledged Ambrosino’s talent but questioned whether the young Italian fits the profile Celtic truly need up front.
“He’s an Italian U21 international. You might look at that and think ‘what’s the difference between that and Callum Osmand?’
“Except there’s a bit of excitement about this guy over in Italy, otherwise he wouldn’t be leading the line for the U21s.
“Napoli of course Scudetto winners, so it’s hard to break into that team.
“I think there has been possible discussions about some sort of loan deal, and Celtic might negotiate an option to buy if that’s the road they want to go down.
“Interesting, and I’m sure he’s a good player, but it doesn’t quite fit in with what I’d expect from Celtic. They’ve got Callum Osmand from Fulham, a young boy with big potential, but I really expect that Brendan Rodgers is going to push the boat out for an experienced, proven option at No.9.
“Someone that fills the same sort of importance in the squad that Kyogo had, albeit he did take a dip before he left for Rennes. I’m fairly certain we’ll see Celtic make a move for someone of that stature.
“The potential problem with that is that these things often go right towards the end of the window. So that might take a while.”
Kyogo left Celtic in January, and they were lucky that Daizen Maeda was firing the goals in which meant that he could paper over the cracks until the summer.
There should have been a replacement lined up in the January window, and the failure to bring one in then should have emphasised the need to have one ready to come in early in the summer, but that hasn’t happened.
Callum Osmand looks like a good prospect, but he’s far from a Kyogo replacement.
As things stand, it looks like Maeda is set to lead the line next season.
