Speculation is beginning to ramp up over a potential return to Celtic for Odsonne Edouard. The striker, who made a name for himself during his time in Glasgow, could find himself back on the radar as the Hoops look to bolster the attack ahead of the new campaign.
With his contract at Selhurst Park entering its final year and following a disappointing loan spell at Leicester City, his future remains up in the air. The uncertainty has led to talk of whether a return to Celtic could be a possibility as Brendan Rodgers prepares his squad for another season.
Asked for his view on whether Edouard could be an option for his former side, Scott Allan offered a positive assessment.
He said: (Clyde 1 Superscoreboard), “I would, yeah. Fantastic player. It’s obviously a position that Celtic will be looking to add to.
“I think we might see Daizen Maeda go back out to that wide area, where he was so effective in terms of his pressing and getting up and down the pitch.
“He’ll be looking to add to his goal tally come next season. I think there’s no question that it’s an area of the park where Celtic need to strengthen.
“I think the problem with the boys that are playing in the Premier League is that there’s now the chance to go to the Saudi League, where they can earn ridiculous amounts of money.
“The Kieran Tierney one is completely different because he’s a huge Celtic fan and he’s been dying to get back home and probably feels like he’s got unfinished business at Celtic.
“So it’ll be interesting but I do feel that Celtic will be looking to find the next Odsonne Edouard where they can get a tune from them and then make money from them.”
While Allan recognises Edouard’s quality, financial realities could present major stumbling blocks. The growing attraction of Saudi Arabia’s wealth continues to affect the market, making it increasingly difficult for clubs like Celtic to tempt Premier League players back north.
In Tierney’s case, personal attachment to the club and unfinished business in Glasgow create a very different dynamic, but no such emotional pull appears to exist for Edouard.
At 27, and with his market value potentially reduced after an underwhelming loan at Leicester, Celtic could monitor developments if Palace look to offload him this summer.
However, as Allan points out, the more likely route may see Celtic try to identify the next version of Edouard, a hungry forward who can develop in Glasgow before eventually commanding a significant fee.
