According to the latest reports from the Sun, Celtic are keeping track of Hearts of Midlothian’s striker Uche Ikpeazu. It is believed that Rangers are also interested in this powerhouse of a striker and Championship outfit Hull City’s name is also doing the round.
Ikpeazu has definitely impressed for the Jambos while leading the line. The 24-year-old extended his contract with the club just last month only until 2022. Hearts are expected to demand somewhere around £1m for their target man.
There is no doubt that Celtic will have to go through a major rebuilding phase in the upcoming summer as they are going to lose quite a few players. The Bhoys lost Moussa Dembele in the summer of 2018, and they are yet to replace him. Therefore we expect Celtic to go after a striker.
What Can Ikpeazu Bring To The Table?
The 6ft 3inches man is a traditional target man, and he has troubled quite a few defences in the Premiership with his hold up play and physicality. Neil Lennon escaped with a lucky win against the Jambos when he took charge of his first game. He would have seen from close quarters what Ikpeazu brings to the table.
The forward has managed five goals and four assists in all competitions this season, and he can turn out to be a decent bet for Celtic.
Our opinion on the transfer
Celtic are going to lose the services of Oliver Burke in the summer who has led the line on various occasions after January. Leigh Griffiths is expected to be back and fit by next season. Moreover, the Hoops had signed Vakoun Issouf Bayo who is also in a similar mould as Ikpeazu. We are a bit undecided as to how the English forward can improve Celtic’s squad.
We feel that if Celtic want to reach the next level, then they should look to sign a different kind of a striker. Odsonne Edouard and Vakoun Issouf Bayo can act as the target man. Celtic would be better off looking for a forward who can play on the shoulder of the defenders and make runs behind the defensive lines.
Ikpeazu is a decent talent, and we are quite sure that he would return better numbers at Parkhead. However, at the moment, he still needs to do more to be of Celtic’s quality. At £1m, the deal isn’t too expensive. However, if Celtic goes on to sign him, we don’t see how he will be counted as an upgrade over the options they already have. Moreover, it would be unfair for someone like Issouf Bayo who is waiting in the wings to get his chances.
