Celtic striker Vakoun Issouf Bayo has yet to start a single game for the club, and it’s likely he still won’t have come the end of the season.
At the moment, the big Ivorian is struggling from a groin strain picked up on international duty. It came at both an inconvenient time and a convenient one ironically.
What the injury allows Bayo to do is to get used to Scotland and Glasgow a bit more. Nobody knows how much time he’s had to really engrain himself into the city, but it should be a priority for him.
For a groin strain, you would be hoping Bayo returns in a few weeks. But it won’t be long until the season is over, and game-time for the striker you have to imagine would be limited. Particularly when Odsonne Edouard, Oliver Burke, and Timothy Weah are all vying for the striker’s slot.
There’s also no denying that Bayo hasn’t made the impact we all would’ve hoped. There’s almost an acceptance that this was a deal done with next season in mind. After all, being so young and coming to a new country was always going to be difficult for the Ivorian. But it would’ve been nice to see more of him since January, especially with his record of 18 goals in 23 games in Slovakia this season
Bayo’s time to shine will come
He’s so far made just one late cameo in the 1-0 win at Rugby Park. Despite signing for around £2million from Dunajska Streda, we haven’t really had a look at what the club have invested in.
That’s what makes pre-season so important for Bayo. As it stands, both Weah and Burke will head back to their parent clubs. That leaves just Edouard and Leigh Griffiths as the only remaining strikers at Parkhead.
A positive impact in pre-season would fire Bayo right into the mix with the current duo for a starting position (should Griffiths be fit to play).
The pre-season friendlies Celtic have before the Champions League qualifiers must have the importance of cup finals for Bayo. Notching some goals will make him hard to ignore in that regard, whoever the new manager is.
And, make no mistake, if he doesn’t impress in his early showings next term, Bayo could quickly find himself being third choice in a system that only has one striker. That’s not even taking into account any potential new acquisitions in the summer.
For now, Bayo should relax and get used to the Scottish game. His injury gives him the opportunity to do that. But when he returns from his summer break, it’ll be time to start seeing what Celtic have paid for.
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