Odsonne Edouard has hit good form off late, but one cannot ignore the fact that Brendan Rodgers is limited with his attacking options this season after the departure of Moussa Dembele to Lyon.
Leigh Griffiths is a good backup option, but he is currently injured, and apart from them, there aren’t any viable option who can lead the line for the Hoops. Therefore there is a place for a striker in this current squad and Celtic should go all out in January to land Red Star Belgrade’s striker Milan Pavkov.
The Serbian recently rocked Liverpool in the Champions League tie where he scored two brilliant first-half goals and kept his side’s hopes of making it out of a tough group alive. Celtic had been linked with Pavkov after the summer transfer window got over and there were reports that the Hoops scouts were keeping an eye on him when his side took on Napoli at home.
Pavkov was signed by Serbian giants in 2016 but was immediately sent back on loan to Radnicki Nis where he blossomed that season and managed 23 goals in 33 league games. Such performance was good enough to give him first-team chances at Red Star, and one can say he has taken his chances well especially after the performance against Liverpool where he led his side to an unexpected victory.
Pavkov has managed seven goals in 17 appearances this season and what should excite the Hoops, even more, is that the striker is in the final year of his contract. Celtic should have decent money to play with as they sold Dembele for £20m. The 24-year-old might not be like for like replacement for Dembele but Pavkov has goals in his game, and that is what Rodgers should bring in him for at this moment.
The striker stands at almost 6ft4inches and is a monster in the air as Liverpool found out. However, given his stature, don’t take him as a slouch on the pitch as he can carry the ball and he has decent close control skills. The forward packs a punch with his right foot and is also sometimes on set-piece duties for his side when the ball is around the penalty box.
Pavkov might not have any experience of playing football outside of Serbia, but from what he has showcased in the past two years, he can be a massive hit in the Scottish Premiership. The striker can be the perfect target man up front and would ease the burden of scoring goals from someone like Edouard. The Bhoys have already been linked with him, and they should step up their pursuit for the striker who is in the last year of his deal.
