The outstanding center-forward has reportedly drawn interest from the Hoops.
The summer transfer window officially opened for business last week, and Celtic may be looking to bolster their forward line.
First off, Hyeon-gyu Oh, who was Parkhead’s third-choice number nine in the second part of the previous season, is apparently the target of a £4 million proposal from Belgian powerhouse Genk.
The South Korean international struggled for several minutes as Brendan Rodgers favoured Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi over him in the starting lineup.
Football Insider has also revealed that if an offer of about £25 million comes along this summer, the Hoops would be open to cashing in on Kyogo.
Idah returned to Paradise on loan from Norwich City earlier this year, and the Bhoys are reportedly keen on a permanent move to bring him back to Paradise amid rumours that the club’s only two senior center-forward options could be leaving Glasgow.
The Scottish powerhouse have now been connected to a different striker, who might join the team to bolster Matt O’Riley’s offensive midfield and provide additional firepower.
Celtic’s eyeing up in-demand marksman
Sport Witness has confirmed that O Jogo (18/06/24), a Portuguese publication, reports that the Hoops are among several teams interested in signing Panathinaikos center-forward Fotis Ioannidis this summer.
According to the report, the Bhoys are hoping to sign the Greek international so they can fight for the starting nine position at Parkhead the following season.
The Scottish Premiership winners are described as “serious” rivals to the other teams hoping to sign the talented marksman in the upcoming weeks.
O Jogo goes on to say that Girona, Lazio, Sevilla, Ipswich Town, Sporting, and Lille are also vying for Ioannidis’ signature, highlighting how difficult it will be for Rodgers to secure a contract for him.
According to the source, Sporting was prepared to pay Panathiniakos €20 million (£16.8 million) to transfer their great finisher to Portugal, while the latter is seeking to get a sum of up to €30 million (£25 million).
Celtic’s most recent club-record acquisition was Odsonne Edouard from PSG for £9 million in the summer of 2018, but a £25 million raid for the Greek powerhouse seems improbable.
But, the Super League team might be compelled to drop the £25 million valuation if no teams are willing to match it, which would financially put the Bhoys back in the picture.
O’Riley would love having him play with him in the 2024–2025 season if they can somehow figure out a method to get him to Parkhead.
What makes Matt O’Riley a striker’s dream
First and foremost, the Hoops need to make sure they can hold onto the Denmark international before other teams’ interest forces the window to close.
Although they have been informed that signing the central midfielder will cost them €40 million (£33 million), Atletico Madrid is apparently eager to sign him and are only willing to commit €20 million (£15.8 million) at this time.
It’s easy to see why Celtic regard him so highly given the amazing season he had in the Premiership under Rodgers’ leadership the previous year.
The Danish wizard’s ability to regularly finish opportunities and his never-ending supply of invention in the middle made him a striker’s dream.
In Ange Postecoglou’s final season at Parkhead, he managed just three goals in 38 league games; however, Rodgers’ arrival in 2023 enabled him to reach his full goal-scoring potential.
The 23-year-old genius led the team in a number of important attacking categories, including as goals scored, assists given, and “big chances” created, as the table above shows.
According to these numbers, the left-footed maestro would be a striker’s dream because of his amazing ability to regularly breach opponent defences and set up opportunities for his teammates, giving the attacker plenty of chances to score.
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