Report: West Ham had option to sign Celtic forward Odsonne Edouard

By Euan Davidson

August 25, 2021

West Ham United had the chance to buy Odsonne Edouard this summer, but turned the Frenchman down, according to the Daily Express.

With the improved form of Michail Antonio, an absolute menace when the Hammers played at Celtic Park in pre-season, David Moyes has been considering his options for a back-up.

According to the Express’ transfer whiz Ryan Taylor, the East Londoners snubbed a chance to bring Edouard along. In the same column, Taylor has stated that Crystal Palace remain keen, should he wish to leave Celtic.

Undoubtedly, the last few years of Edouard’s goal-scoring form will have alerted scouts across Europe. With goals at domestic, European and youth international level, Edouard has proven himself as a prolific striker. He won’t be at Celtic forever, something fans have very much accepted.

However, he doesn’t seem in any rush to actually leave the club. What’s more, he’s contributing. In 3 Scottish Premiership games, he’s scored two and set up one [Transfermarkt].

Although his contract runs out next summer, it’s not impossible to think he could top the goalscoring charts again. There’s also exciting potential in working with Japanese dynamo Kyogo Furuhashi, with the two dovetailing and showing excellent movement and effort against St Mirren at the weekend.

West Ham could’ve have Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard

It’s been an odd sort of summer for Edouard. He’s been linked with nearly every Premier League outfit going. Brighton and Southampton were reportedly very keen, but wage demands were an issue.

Leicester City and Arsenal were interested earlier this summer, while Crystal Palace remain so.

Perhaps he doesn’t crave the Premier League as so many players seem to. In that case, Celtic really ought to try extending the Frenchman’s contract if possible, to recoup the money spent on developing him and turning him into a star player.

While his body language is often criticised, Edouard’s effort isn’t the issue. Looking at his heat map from Saturday’s shellacking of St Mirren [WhoScored?], Edouard shows willingness to track back and start moves from the middle. Or, he’s more than capable of sitting outside the box and picking out passes to his teammates.

We won’t know until the transfer window closes whether Celtic have made a profit on, or kept Edouard. For sure, Ange Postecoglou would probably prefer to keep a striker of such calibre around if possible.

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