Rangers-linked Striker Tipped to Join Celtic Instead
Celtic have made just one addition to their squad in January. Nicolas Kuhn has been brought in from Rapid Vienna in a £3 million move after an impressive first half to the season.
Hopefully, Kuhn can carry on that form at Celtic. While he is not a great goalscorer, the former Bayern Munich, Ajax and RB Leipzig player has shown an eye for creating chances for his teammates.
Of course, he will need somebody to take them. Unfortunately, Celtic have not been the most efficient in front of goal this season.
Kyogo Furuhashi scored 34 goals last season but his numbers have dropped with Brendan Rodgers replacing Ange Postecoglou.
The slower and more methodical build-up play does not seem to suit the Japanese forward, who thrives on playing off the last defender and his clever movement in the opposition box.
Oh Hyeon-gyu has shown some moments of quality for sure. The South Korean is yet to put it all together though and is not ready to be starting for Celtic yet.
It would help Rodgers if he had a third striker available. Various sources have claimed that Celtic are looking to make an addition up front.
There have been no concrete movements in that regard so far. With a little over a week left in the January transfer window, there is not much time to change that and get a deal over the line.
Hearts captain, Lawrence Shankland, is one player who has been linked with Celtic in recent months. Could a move transpire in January?
Shankland has been the best striker in Scotland this season and by some distance. According to Transfermarkt, he has registered 18 goals and 3 assists in 28 appearances.
He is a man for the big occasions too. Three of those goals have come in Europe. Two each against Celtic and Rangers.
Shankland has been linked with a switch to Ibrox. But according to Glasgow World, Stephen McGinn told Go Radio: "Celtic need another striker.
"Kyogo rubber-stamped his status as the main man in the recent Rangers game. But what they don’t probably have is when Oh comes on with about 20 minutes to go and you are chasing a result, he just doesn’t quite have that knack that Shankland has of nicking that goal. So, I am sure he is spoken about.
“Lawrence Shankland in his career had hit rock bottom, in terms of ability-wise. He had fallen out of the team at St Mirren in his second spell. Didn’t have the best time at Morton. Drops down to Ayr in the third tier of Scottish football and really gets it going again and now he is a Scottish international, who has been linked with Celtic, so it’s probably that one last step for him in his career. That’s what everyone is looking for him to make."
Shankland would immediately transform Celtic's options at striker. On current form, he can genuinely give Kyogo a run for his money.
The best thing about signing someone like Shankland is that he knows Scottish football like the back of his hand. One would not expect him to take any time to adjust.
On the contrary, Shankland's numbers might go up as he will get a lot more chances to score at Celtic than he does at Hearts.
