Brendan Rodgers is on a mission to improve his Celtic squad by any means necessary following an exciting summer window that yielded eight new additions.
The Irishman now has players fighting for slots in every position, which was a cornerstone of the success achieved in his first tenure in Glasgow.
However, managers are never satisfied, and you suspect Rodgers will want to add to his pile of talent in January to maximise the scope of what Celtic could achieve this season.
Earlier today, 67 Hail Hail told that the Bhoys have continued to scout Hammarby’s Bazoumana Toure and chief Joe Lefevre is said to be impressed by his findings. Regardless, it could cost around £8.35 million to entice him away from the Swedish capital.
Competition is also high for the 18-year-old’s signature as Bayer Leverkusen, Crystal Palace, Benfica and Eintracht Frankfurt remain in the hunt, though Celtic will fancy their chances.
Delving deeper into what is now apparently a more ‘serious’ level of interest, any pursuit could align with one of Brendan Rodgers’ summer demands.
Brendan Rodgers’ wish for a three-pronged Celtic attack
The summer window feels like it was an age ago now, but it is still fresh enough in the memory to remember Rodgers claiming that he would like three strikers in the building at Celtic.
Back in July, before Adam Idah came in permanently, he said: “I think my ideal scenario was to have three strikers, was to have Kyogo, one other one, and bring through a young player.”
Later, he expanded: “Three is a really good number. Two, I would say to be number one strikers, and one that we can nurture and develop.”
Admittedly, he did backpedal a bit after Daizen Maeda scored a double against Hibernian in August, conceding that a third forward wouldn’t be added during the summer due to priorities lying elsewhere.
Could that situation change in January? It remains to be seen, and you couldn’t rule it out, especially if Celtic stand a chance of progression in the Champions League.
Toure could fit the brief as another Celtic forward option
Toure is predominantly a left winger, but interchangeability within a front three is standard practice across the football world these days.
Maeda is the perfect example of that, considering his career trajectory at Celtic. Toure is a bright young talent with six goals and three assists in 16 senior appearances for Hammarby, so could be a versatile option with an eye for the target that may fit the brief of adding another offensive layer.
Evidently, the Ivory Coast Under-20 international is someone the club has an eye on, seeing as they’ve kept him under surveillance for several months.
Coming off the left, the teen is someone worth investing stocks in now before he eventually ends up out of Celtic’s price range.
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