The 2023–24 season may be nearing its conclusion, but Celtic needs to start planning for the upcoming season right away. The Scottish champions must make the right hires if they are to become a more competitive team on the continent.
The main concern right now seems to be finding a long-term center forward. There is a lot of conjecture about whether loan star Adam Idah—who has scored nine goals in only 19 appearances across all competitions—will make a permanent return to Parkhead this summer. The Old Firm giants may have to look elsewhere sooner rather than later because the Irishman’s parent club, Norwich City, is reportedly playing hardball right now. This is especially true in light of rumors that Kyogo Furuhashi, a favorite of Ange Postecoglou, is being courted by clubs in his home Japan.
The 29-year-old’s goal scoring slumped noticeably after Brendan Rodgers took over as manager. He had scored 54 goals in just 83 games under the previous manager, and his acceptable but unimpressive 19 goals in 50 games this season has made it necessary to find a worthy replacement.
Celtic’s search for a striker
Given that Idah is expected to return to Norwich for preseason and that reports suggest Kyogo may go for as much as £10 million this summer, finding a reliable successor will have to happen sooner rather than later. Bojan Miovski, the Aberdeen sensation, is perhaps the most obvious and noteworthy prospect for the Hoops to replace their present hitting tandem. The Macedonian marksman has long been connected to a move to Glasgow.
The 24-year-old is reportedly being pursued by a number of clubs, including Southampton, Bologna, and Feyenoord, as well as rival Rangers. As FotMob revealed just last week, Rodgers’ team is one of those interested in signing the player before the 2019–20 season.
How Miovski compares to Idah and Kyogo
The 24-year-old, who still has two years left on his current Pittodrie contract, would probably not be cheap, since there have been rumors that even a £5 million offer would not be accepted. However, the Dons hero’s recent string of impressive performances has definitely justified a high asking price. The 6-foot-2 striker, who arrived from Hungarian side MTK in 2022, has been the leader of a struggling Aberdeen team for the past two seasons. In just 95 games across all competitions, he has scored 44 goals.
This season’s total of 26 goals matches Idah’s senior career record of 17 goals in 115 games for the Canaries and his nine goals for the Hoops. Kyogo’s 53 goals during that time are not far from that return, even though he was playing for a far more successful and front-running team.
Miovski, who is just a year older than Idah, would be another possible long-term addition for Rodgers and company as the attack’s main man. The 22-cap international has already attracted Rodgers’ attention, as the manager called him a “good player” after the Scottish Cup semifinal match at Hampden.
Miovski has demonstrated his ability to compete with the best in the division by scoring three goals in seven games against the champions and four in nine at Ibrox. For this reason, Livingston manager David Martindale previously asserted that the “top striker” could “walk into any team” in the league.
Also referred to as “one of the best players in Scotland” by writer Zach Lowy, the sought-after forward would undoubtedly be a wise addition for Rodgers and company. The competition to sign him is now underway.
For more sport news visit lifestyleroom.net
Leave a Reply