Brendan Rodgers has revealed the kind of striker he will look to sign before tomorrow night’s transfer deadline, with Kyogo having left the Hoops for £10 million on Monday.
The Irishman provided an update on a replacement, but it isn’t the kind of update that will fill supporters with a lot of encouragement, having had the whole month to sign someone before Kyogo left.
There are ultimately two ways of looking at it. On the positive side, Adam Idah was signed on loan last January on deadline day, with an incredible second half of the season leading the Hoops to a league and cup double.
On the negative side, Celtic’s search for a striker could be seen as reactive rather than proactive. Too often, the Hoops wait until players have left the club before signing a replacement, and this is clearly the case going into deadline day, a week after Kyogo’s exit, without a new striker.
With Rodgers revealing the type of move it will have to be, given the stage of the season.
When asked ‘I take it in terms of a striker it’s looking more like a loan now as opposed to a permanent one?’
Rodgers said: (The Celtic Way), “I would think so. I would think so.
“I think that to get the one that we would want for that longer term, if it’s not there, then I don’t want to just bring in anyone just for the sake of it. I’ve always looked from within.
“There’s no point in bringing in someone if they’re not the right fit. It might be more down that route, but we’ll wait and see what tomorrow evening brings.”
With the Champions League knockout tie against Bayern Munich looming and Dundee at Celtic Park on Wednesday night, Celtic’s ability to bring in a suitable replacement could be crucial in shaping the second half of their season.
Kyogo is a big miss, and although they managed without him today, Celtic need another striker to compete with Idah for a starting spot. The fact that it will likely have to be a loan isn’t what anyone close to the club wants to see.
The Hoops may have a comfortable lead in the Scottish Premiership, but there was a chance to lay down a marker this month with blockbuster signings.
Given the fact that Celtic will have to negotiate two rounds of Champions League qualifiers in the summer, this window was a great chance to get signings in and bed them in before potential qualifiers. However, that simply hasn’t materialised yet before tomorrow’s deadline.
