Celtic are definitely missing Moussa Dembele as they have failed to score goals freely off late. They have eeked out 1-0 victories in the last few games, and it is clear that they need a goal scorer to bring them back to life as Odsonne Edouard has struggled to get going after coming back from an injury. The Hoops are creating good enough chances in the final third, but they seem to lack the cutting edge to put the chances to bed.
We believe waiting until January could cost the Hoops heavily as they could be out of Europa League group stages by that time and could trail by a significant margin in the league. Therefore for a quick and cheap fix, Brendan Rodgers should consider making a move for striker Jerry Mbakogu who is currently a free agent after leaving the Serie B side Carpi. The 25-year-old has often been compared to Didier Drogba because of his physical built and playing style, and even if he is half as good as the former Ivory Coast international, Rodgers will take that at the moment.
The striker was earlier linked heavily with a move to Championship outfit Leeds United, but the move didn’t materialise. The Bhoys are in need of a goal scorer as they have found the back of the net just five times in the last six games.
Mbakogu has played most of his football in Italy and was a crucial player for Carpi in the 2014-15 campaign where he scored 15 league goals. That performance even helped him earn a place in Serie B team of the season for that year. The forward also has experience of playing in the Italian top division where he has made 24 appearances and had two goals and two assists to his name.
The Nigerian is what we can call a traditional no.9 as he can act as a target man up front and along with that, he makes those runs from the shoulders of the defenders. The striker is physically strong, and one can expect the 26-year-old to give Premiership defenders a tough time. This might seem like a panic buy at the moment, but we believe the club should make this move before it’s too late.
It’s clear that Rodgers won’t be able to replicate the kind of football which his side have played in the last two years. Mbakogu would be coming in for free so that would cut down the risk of losing money on him. Even if the club goes for another striker in January, the new forward might take time to get ready to the pace and dynamics of the new league and country.
By the time he comes to full pace, the league could be out of reach. Therefore, making a move for this free agent now could be a smart one as Mbakogu would have more time to settle in at the club.
