Houston Dynamo striker Mauro Manotas should be on the Celtic shopping list in January.
The Colombian hit-man is reportedly available to interested clubs in Europe report FootMercato.
The Celts are in for a striker in the winter window to challenge and rest Odsonne Edouard.
Manotas’ situation and his goal tally in the last two seasons is enough to spark a bid from Neil Lennon.
Mauro Manotas is the ideal signing for Celtic
Manotas is coming off the back of two high scoring seasons in MLS with Texas side Houston Dynamo.
Last season, Mantoas netted 15 goals in 36 games with seven assists in all competitions.
The previous campaign in 2017/18 seen 25 goals in 37 games with two assists for the 5’9 attacker.
These are numbers are similar to what the Hoops look for in players, especially after two strong seasons.
His price is around the £3.6 million mark according to Transfermarkt which is a perfect price for his role.
However, a national team call-up seems to be evading him, but there is strong competition for the striker role.
He has been called up for the under-20 side in the past, though.
Manotas is a 24-year-old centre-forward and his club are looking to get him out into Europe.
Clubs such as Nantes and Saint-Etienne are interested but the Hoops are far more capable to beat them to the Houston Dynamo man.
Hoops need to explore the American market
There are a lot of hidden gems in MLS and the surrounding areas that Lennon should look at.
MLS and the upper end of the Scottish Premiership are very similar in terms of club size and wage structures.
The Celts can also be used as a means of getting themselves out into Europe and test themselves.
MLS is an isolated league from the rest of the footballing world, but there are a lot of talents needing unearthed.
In the past, it’s been Scottish talent heading stateside, but there should be some give and go the opposite way.
The Hoops have the likes of Manny Perez and Andrew Gutman on their books, but haven’t made the grade.
However, these are two players that aren’t playing at the top level in positions the first team have plenty of cover.
Manolas has a proven record in MLS and is a seasoned first team player for a good outfit.
He isn’t a gamble like Perez and Gutman but a player that can come in and do a job while pushing for international recognition.
Plus, for the reported price and competition for his signature, it’s a no brainer for Lennon to ask the question.
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