According to the latest reports from the Sunday Post, Celtic are being linked with a move for former England striker Jermaine Defoe who has fallen down the pecking order at Bournemouth this season. Celtic could be in for two strikers in January as Leigh Griffiths is out of football for an indefinite time frame.
Celtic are in desperate need of a striker as Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths are both unavailable at the moment. They have done well in their absence as Michael Johnston has stepped up to fill in that role, but it’s clear that the Hoops need to go in for a striker in January.
Defoe has managed just three appearances this season in the Premier League for the Cherries and it is believed that Eddie Howe could allow the veteran forward to leave on loan in January. The reports also add that the English club would be paying the bulk of Defoe’s wages.
As a short terms prospect, this should definitely delight the Hoops fans as Defoe still has that pedigree to score goals up front. The form of Callum Wilson at the Vitality Stadium has limited his playing time this season. Josh King, Ryan Fraser and Lys Mousset are also able to fill in that striker’s role so Defoe has found his chances few and far between so far. But even last season, the 36-year-old managed 24 appearances in the Premier League and had shown enough evidence that he can lead the line well.
The amount of experience and goals the Englishman has under his belt is unmatchable and he would be a decent backup striker to Odsonne Edouard from now until the summer. At 36, one might say he is definitely past his prime, but he still possesses killer goal-scoring instincts and his pace isn’t too bad either.
He can link up play as well and Rodgers should look to pull off this move given that the English side would be willing to pay the bulk of his wages. The Hoops have done well so far even after they sold Moussa Dembele in the summer, but it is clear that they cannot afford to have another poor transfer window as their standards have dropped this season.
If Rodgers is looking at a more long-term option, then we cannot envision Celtic going after Defoe in January, but the manager had already indicated that he could be in for two strikers next month. Therefore one of them could be a short-term option like Jermaine Defoe who has got a plethora of experience in the Premier League and has over 50 caps for the Three Lions as well.
