Andy Halliday reckons Celtic won’t dip into the market for a new striker this summer, despite losing Kyogo in January.
Halliday believes Brendan Rodgers is more likely to prioritise adding another winger to his squad, especially with Daizen Maeda in red-hot form and a forgotten figure in Johnny Kenny still on the books.
Maeda’s numbers speak for themselves—30 goals in all competitions so far this season—and his consistency has pushed Idah down the pecking order. While the former Norwich man has offered moments of quality, Maeda’s pace, pressing, and finishing have made him undroppable.
Kenny, meanwhile, is currently nowhere near the first team picture. The Irish striker impressed during a loan spell at Shamrock Rovers, but hasn’t managed to break through since returning. That situation prompted Halliday to question Celtic’s approach to squad planning, particularly when it comes to third-choice options.
Kenny came back to the Celtic squad initially, and did make his debut, but hasn’t been seen much since then.
Speaking on the matter, Halliday said on Open Goal: “What’s the point? Johnny Kenny must be thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ You know what I mean? If I go on loan to Shamrock Rovers, got 20 goals in six months, come back, and I’m sitting as third-choice striker.
“I’m probably more leaning the same as you [Si Ferry]. I think if you’re going to bring someone in, I think you bring in another winger.”
It will be interesting to see what happens during the summer. With Maeda on fire playing through the middle, Rodgers may well look to add to the wings, replacing the space left by the Japanese international.
Nicolas Kuhn’s future isn’t certain either, with rumours surrounding him and interest from down south seemingly mounting.
