The Celtic striker situation has gained the attention of supporters over the last 24 hours after Daizen Maeda’s double against Hibernian yesterday.
Last week, Adam Idah was unveiled permanently after joining from Norwich City. However, he had to settle for a place on the bench as he settled back into life in Glasgow following a £9.5 million move. Looking sharp as a substitute, there is excitement among the support over his potential impact this term.
Kyogo Furuhashi was ruled out against Hibernian due to his ongoing shoulder problem. It is common knowledge that he has been carrying the issue for quite some time.
Brendan Rodgers delivered an update on his status post-match, confirming the striker has declined surgery to rectify his shoulder and has instead opted to manage the condition for the time being.
He stated: “It can be (fixed) if he has an operation. But that will be down to him. He clearly hasn’t wanted that for a number of years. He’s managed it really well but today we don’t need to take any risks we don’t have to.”
Furuhashi has the choice to do as he sees fit for his career. Nevertheless, this does make having three capable strikers in the building a pressing priority for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions.
Brendan Rodgers and his wish for three strikers
Earlier in the summer, Rodgers revealed that Rocco Vata was set to be one of the three first-team strikers at Celtic before he left for Watford.
Explaining the future he was offered, he stated: “Rocco was offered it and he was told that he was going to be one of the three strikers at Celtic. He decided that it wasn’t going to be for him. So he then left Celtic. That is absolutely fine and we wish him all the very best.”
Hyeongyu Oh became third in command after Idah’s arrival on loan in January. Still, with the South Korean international now at Genk, there is a slot to fill as the fixture schedule becomes more congested.
Yesterday, Maeda showed his capacity to transition seamlessly to the centre-forward role. However, he is predominantly a wide player, meaning the flanks would be a man down if he were frequently deployed as an auxiliary striker.
The contenders for the third-man Celtic striker role
File Maeda as a contender for the role; he efficiently plugged the gap in the wake of Furuhashi’s absence yesterday, but who else could be in the running for the third striker berth at Celtic?
According to reports, the Bhoys are monitoring free agent striker Aaron Connoly as Rodgers seeks to add positional depth before the deadline.
Capped nine times by the Republic of Ireland, the Galway-born man scored eight times in 30 appearances across all competitions last term for Hull City. Nevertheless, clubs south of the border are also keen on the forward, so it remains to be seen if the Bhoys could reach out to strike a deal.
Last month, we told that Celtic were interested in Columbus Crew striker Jacen Russell-Rowe. The 21-year-old has registered five goals and two assists in 23 outings across all competitions and is an international teammate of Alistair Johnston.
Conversely, the Bhoys could look to bring through an internal figure from the Academy to supplement their frontline. Celtic B forward Daniel Cummings appears to be the obvious candidate after scoring five goals in his first four Lowland League matches, but stepping up to the first team would be a big ask.
Joey Dawson is another shout if he can shake off his injury problems. Either way, there is space for another striker to enter the fold.
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