Tony Watt has suggested that Lawrence Shankland could be a viable option for Celtic this summer as the club look to bolster their striking options.
The Hearts forward, who has hit just 5 goals this season, is out of contract and has been frequently linked with a move to Rangers.
He had a better season last term, netting 31 goals in all competitions.
While Shankland remains a divisive figure among the Celtic support, Watt believes the move would make sense given Celtic’s current options through the middle. With Johnny Kenny struggling to break into the side, Watt reckons Shankland’s proven scoring record could fill a gap in Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, Watt was asked about the possibility of Shankland, to which he said: “Celtic probably need another number nine now, don’t they? Because the boy Kenny’s not really going to sniff. Somebody that scored 25 goals – I don’t think it would be the worst.”
However, Watt’s view wasn’t shared by co-pundit Paul Slane, who immediately poured cold water on the idea. Slane insisted his opposition to Shankland’s signing had nothing to do with the striker’s Rangers connections, instead putting forward the case for bringing back Kyogo Furuhashi.
“The reason I’ll say no is… I would have a sniff at bringing Kyogo back. It will be the same as Tierney and Jota and you’ll get him for less than Kyogo. It will be a great bit of business,” said Slane.
The debate around Celtic’s next striking move continues, with Adam Idah yet to fully convince as the long-term answer, and Daizen Maeda finding form in the central role. Whether Shankland would be considered by Rodgers remains to be seen, but the discussion probably won;t be popular with Celtic fans, that’s for sure.
