Liverpool recently confirmed that Daniel Sturridge is set to depart from the club once his contract expires in the next few days. The English striker is leaving on a high as the Reds won the Champions League and the 29-year-old forward was an unused substitute in the final.
With him being available on a free transfer, we feel that Celtic should go all out to sign him in the summer. The bookies are even giving Celtic 11/2 odds of signing the Englishman. The forward’s career has been troubled with injury, but he largely remained injury free for Liverpool last season where he played some little cameos. He scored some crucial goals as well as his equaliser against Chelsea in the Premier League was a memorable strike, and he opened the scoring for his side in the Champions League tie against PSG.
Therefore we still feel that Sturridge has some years left in him and he can offer the Hoops a top strike option. The Bhoys relied heavily on Odsonne Edouard to produce the goods in the final third, and the Frenchman did a decent job. However, Edouard had to miss quite a few games due to injury.
Why Celtic need a striker?
Celtic had to use Oliver Burke as the man up front on various occasions, but he is set to depart from the club as his loan spell is going to end in the next few days. Leigh Griffiths is going to be available for the upcoming season, but it remains to be seen whether he would be able to hit his previous standards after making a comeback.
Therefore the Hoops definitely need to think about bringing a striker in and Sturridge on a free transfer sounds like a good deal to us.
Why can Sturridge still be a good signing?
Neil Lennon will probably have to utilise him carefully, but when on the pitch, Sturridge can always be a big threat. He is capable of producing spectacular moments out of nothing, and he is also known for his ruthless and calm finishing up front. The Englishman has lost a bit of pace, but his close control is still delightful to watch.
We expect some other clubs to also go after Sturridge, but Celtic can offer him a chance to play in the Champions League/ Europa League. That could be the turning point in terms of luring him to Parkhead. The striker has proved his fitness as well in the past one odd year, and he can be a game-changing signing for Lennon.
Sturridge could be the marquee signing that ensures that the forward department is sorted for the next few seasons. Given the quality of the 29-year-old, we can safely say that this might very well be a game-changing transfer that ensures that they maintain an edge over Rangers.
