Celtic lost the services of Moussa Dembele on the last day of the transfer window which didn’t give Brendan Rodgers and the club enough time to look for his replacements. The Hoops have done alright since his departure, but his dynamism has certainly been missed.
Recently, Leigh Griffiths decided to take a break from football because of ongoing personal issues and is set to be unavailable for some time now. Before that, Griffiths also missed close to a month of football due to injury, and Odsonne Edouard had to start every game during that period whether it was the Europa League, Scottish Premiership or the League Cup.
To ease the burden, Celtic should definitely go after a striker in January. Dembele was sold for big bucks in the summer, and we think the club should look to reinvest it by bringing in a striker before it gets too late. Here are three forwards the Hoops can consider.
Sardar Azmoun
Rubin Kazan’s Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun can be the decent replacement for someone like Dembele. The Bhoys have been linked (The Scotsman) with him before, and his goalscoring exploits would make him an ideal candidate to lead the line. The forward has even been dubbed as the Iranian Messi and played every minute in the World Cup for his country.
His movement up front and natural goal scoring instincts inside the box should make him a perfect forward when the team has playmakers like Tom Rogic, James Forrest and Ryan Christie. The striker is enjoying a decent season so far as he has managed 5 goals and 4 assists in 17 appearances.
Divock Origi
The Liverpool striker might have earned a new lease of life after he scored the crucial goal in the Merseyside derby but it is likely that he would remain on the fringes of the squad until and unless there are major injury issues. Liverpool could very well look to sell him in January, and the forward was even linked (Goal) with a move away from Anfield in the summer.
His pace and dynamism would make him a perfect like for like replacement for someone like Dembele. Given that he is still 23, the Belgian can improve further, and this former Rodgers signing should undoubtedly be on Celtic’s list if he is made available on the market.
Joselu
Ever since Newcastle United signed Yoshinori Muto and Salomon Rondon in the summer, Joselu’s playing time at the Tyneside has come down drastically. With Benitez set to prefer Rondon and Ayoze Perez to start, Joselu might look for a move away in January. The 28-year-old is a neat finisher and is strong in the air. He definitely has the cutting edge to his game, and the Spaniard can score enough goals for the Hoops.
