Celtic made some commendable signings over the course of the summer transfer window in order to beef up their arsenal, as the fact that they lured Olivier Ntcham, Kundai Benyu, Jonny Hayes, Patrick Roberts and Odsonne Edouard to the Celtic Park substantiates the claim. Brendan Rodgers wasn’t unaware of the perception that he would need depth up front owing to the domestic and UEFA Champions League commitments, and thus, signing Edouard, in particular, makes a lot of sense.
Edouard was brought by the Glasgow based club on loan from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain and this particular signing made a lot of sense. Having emerged through the youth ranks of AF Bobigny and PSG, he paved his way to the reserve side of the French outfit, and his loan spell with Toulouse further bettered his credentials. The striker made a buzz back in France with his sensational displays with PSG’s youth sides and his immense potential and calibre had certainly not gone unnoticed.
The Frenchman was chalked up front to spearhead the attacking setup of the Hoops when they lined up against Hamilton Academical in their latest fixture and it was riveting to see him ply his trade with sheer class.
Edouard did take some time to settle in, but once he acclimatized himself with the SuperSeal Stadium’s artificial pitch, he got along meticulously and proved to be a useful asset. He was strong and mobile up front, being highly alert up front to score goals as well as to create chances for his side.
He further proved that he has the ability to finish well when he pounced upon Roberts’ ball in the second half and buried the ball into the back of the net with sheer coolness and composure. He kept running at Martin Canning’s defenders time and again with raw pace and built a close rapport with his teammates. Besides, he showed great predatory instincts up front and considering Rodgers’ inclination to work with blossoming youngsters, Edouard’s initial glimpses of promises should compel him to use him more.
The former France U19 was lured to the ranks of the Bhoys as a third choice striker, behind Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele, and seeing what he showcased against Hamilton Academical, he seems to have the ingredients to challenge Griffiths and Dembele for the starting spot. The former Liverpool boss was reluctant to sign a striker during the transfer window but after what transpired in his side’s last outing, he must be satisfied with what he chiselled.
