According to the latest reports from Fanatik as cited by the Scotsman, Turkish outfit Trabzonspor are in pole position to sign former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge. Celtic are also said to be interested along with Rangers, but the Turkish side is currently offering the forward £1.83m/year which has removed both the Glasgow teams out of the equation.
Why Celtic need a striker?
Neil Lennon is said to be keen to add to his attacking options. The club currently has Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths as the forward options. Vakoun Issouf Bayo is also an alternative, but he is yet to be tested as he is currently sidelined with injuries. Last season, Issouf Bayo failed to even get into the matchday squads regularly which suggests that he is yet not ready for Premiership football. Thus it seems to us that he is not going to be a plausible option in the short term.
The club lost on-loan players Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke from last season who played a small but essential role in the second half of the campaign. Moreover, there is always a concern over Edouard’s injury issues, so he needs to be used wisely now and then.
It will also be interesting to see how Griffiths would go about his business after coming back from a break. To be fair, he has looked up to pace in the last few appearances. One can say that there is a clear need for a striker at Celtic Park and that is where someone like Sturridge could have come in.
Big miss for the Hoops?
The English striker is a genuine goalscorer, but injuries hampered his progress in the last few years. Ever since Jurgen Klopp took over at Liverpool, he was only used as a backup option. He still has that eye for a goal, and the former Chelsea player scored some crucial goals last season for the Reds as well.
On a free transfer, he would have been worth considering. However, his wage package was always going to make it hard for Celtic to get him. Losing out on him shouldn’t be too big a blow for the Hoops as the English forward is past his prime. He could have still come good in the Premiership, but his signing would have come with a lot of risks.
Lennon should probably eye a versatile and a young forward to provide competition for places and add depth to the squad.
