Hearts Player Tipped for Move to Celtic in January
Celtic could be busier than usual in the upcoming January transfer window. The upcoming AFC Asian Cup throws them a curveball that the club must find a way to deal with.
The AFC Asian Cup starts in January. The likes of Japan and South Korea would be expected to have good runs in the competition. So, Celtic could be missing several key players for a while.
The club cannot let their form drop as a result of that though. The title race is still tight and any small misstep could allow Rangers to cut the gap at the top.
Celtic would urgently need to sign a striker in January if Kyogo Furuhashi and Oh Hyeon-gyu, or even one of them, are picked by their respective national teams. They are the only two strikers the club have right now.
Celtic were linked with a few strikers in the summer transfer window but a move did not happen. Could they go back for any of them in January?
Most of them might not fit what the profile that Celtic would need in January though. The Hoops must sign someone who can come in and immediately deliver the goods up top in the potential absence of Kyogo and Oh.
There would be little to no time to adjust to the league and the team. Ideally, signing a player with Premiership experience would make sense.
Mark Guidi has an interesting suggestion. According to 67 Hail Hail, he said on Go Radio: “The thing is if Celtic sign a striker he’ll be playing. He’ll be a first-team striker because the guys will be away [on international duty]. I think Hearts will have bids to deal with in January and I think now for me, he’s a minimum, £3m striker.
“For Celtic, what do you want? If you’re assessing someone like Lawrence Shankland what are the plus points? He knows the league inside out. He can score goals with his eyes shut. He’s a right good player. There’s no bedding in time as in any language barriers or moving to a new country.
“And if the fee is £3m or £3.5m, Celtic can afford to do that with their eyes shut. I’m not saying he is the absolute number one for them, but just somebody that’s under your nose, I don’t think there’s many better than Lawrence Shankland.”
Shankland might not be the most glamorous name around, but he could certainly do a job up top at Celtic. He has proven himself in Scottish football already.
He might be exactly the type of player Celtic need under those circumstances. Someone who is almost guaranteed to deliver goals if given the service.
The fact that Celtic could be in need of a striker might raise his transfer fee. At the same time, would Hearts be open to their captain leaving in the winter transfer window?
