There is a new goalscorer in town for Celtic.
Who would have thought it? After the frustrations and anger of the 2025 summer transfer window, the two men who are lighting up the place are the two late arrivals – Kelechi Iheanacho and Sebastian Tounekti.
Whilst Celtic paid a transfer fee for Tounekti’s talents, the man from Nigeria arrived as a free transfer after the window had slammed shut and he had ripped up his Sevilla contract.
As a result of it, and through no fault of Iheanacho himself, there was an air of doom and gloom to his signing, but as Kris Boyd pointed out, the tide is changing.
Kris Boyd impressed by Kelechi Iheanacho’s impact at Celtic
On Wednesday night, Celtic drew 1-1 with Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League, as Iheanacho came off the bench to net a stunning goal.
Speaking on the Warm-Up, Boyd was waxing lyrical about the player, including how ‘people don’t understand’ how easy Iheanacho made his finish look.
Boyd also expressed how Celtic would have felt had they signed their free agent for ‘five million’, because he is certain he will go on to lead the line in months to come.
“Iheanacho, if Celtic had gone and spent five million on him, they would have been absolutely delighted,” said Boyd.
“But because they’ve brought him in for nothing. It’s like, ‘oh, you’re scraping the barrel, blah.’
“He will be a good player. He’s been a good player. He’s done it in the English Premier League. He’s shown he’s going to take a few weeks to get up to speed.
“His finish (against Red Star Belgrade) was incredible. Because it looked so easy, people don’t understand how hard that finish is. To be able to get it, hit it with the same foot and everything, but controlled.
“But for me, I think when Iheanacho gets fitter and stronger. He will become Celtic’s number nine. Definitely.”
Iheanacho’s Premier League record
Iheanacho turns 29 in October, so he still has plenty of time to hit the best form of his career, or at least, go to the next level.
But the fact that he came through at Manchester City at such a young age, and his positive spell at Leicester City in the Premier League, including under Rodgers.
It all must surely stand him in good stead, because if you have that goalscoring touch for a league dubbed ‘the best in the world’, then surely the goals will flow in Scotland.
- Iheanacho’s Premier League games: 196
- Goals: 42
- Assists: 27
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