Celtic have started brilliantly under Neil Lennon as they negated two tough away fixtures and won both of them. A journey to Tynecastle to take on Hearts is never an easy game and Hearts did give Celtic some early scare. One man who gave a lot of trouble to the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Dedryck Boyata was Hearts’ striker Uche Ikpeazu.
Chris Sutton, who is a former Celtic striker and a legend of the club, has been vocal about his disappointment in the way Brendan Rodgers left the club. Recently he wrote a column in the Daily Record where he wanted the Hoops to sign Ikpeazu in the future.
He wrote, ”Hearts are a bloody awkward side at home and I was very impressed by them. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for Celtic to make a move for Uche Ikpeazu as well as the big striker must be an absolute nightmare to play against. He’d bring a different option, that’s for sure. Lennon will make a few other tweaks as well.”
Ikpeazu started his footballing journey with English club Reading. He earned a move to Watford in 2013 but never really got going there and was sent on numerous loan spells. The 24-year-old has found his footing in Scotland and looks like a powerhouse up top.
Celtic could need a striker in the summer as the likes of Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah’s loan spell would come to an end. The Bhoys signed Vakoun Issouf Bayo but we are not yet sure how he would go about from now till the end of the season. Moreover, one cannot say what would happen with Leigh Griffiths after he decided to take some time off football.
Since January, Oliver Burke and Odsonne Edouard have led the line with the former being a more prominent feature in the first team. However, there is no certainty that the Hoops would be able to sign Burke in the summer. Ikpeazu will be a decent bet to have as a third choice option as his physicality can trouble a lot of defenders in the Premiership.
However, one thing where Ikpeazu might have to improve on is his conversion rate. The forward has managed just one goal in the Premiership in 10 appearances. It would however be unfair if we do not mention the fact that he has been able to link up play well and has managed four assists. We are still a bit undecided whether Ikpeazu is of Celtic’s quality.
Moreover, Issouf Bayo is also in a similar mould as Ikpeazu. It could come down to whether Celtic can have a fit and healthy Griffiths available for next season. If yes, then we feel the Hoops would be better of avoiding signing Ikpeazu in the summer as he still needs to prove himself by scoring more goals.
