Celtic have a fair few priorities for the January transfer window.
Regardless of whether the manager is Martin O’Neill, Wilfried Nancy or Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic squad needs some help this winter.
Julian Araujo has been signed, and Jocelin Ta Bi is reportedly on his way – but a glaring omission from the business so far has been a striker.
Rumours of a Celtic return for Kyogo Furuhashi emerged on Thursday, though a bit of cold water has since been poured on talk of an imminent move.
So where else could Celtic find a new striker? Alan Stubbs has no doubt over one option.
Kyogo Furuhashi back to Celtic… initial thoughts?
Alan Stubbs on Celtic striker target for January
Wessam Abou Ali and Ibrahim Diabate are some of the options linked with the Hoops this month.
But on Tuesday night, Chris Sutton raised the name of Callum Wilson, the ex-Bournemouth and Newcastle striker who has now been released by West Ham.
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For Stubbs, Wilson would not be a ‘gamble’ like Sutton said – he would offer a proven track record of goals at the top level.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Stubbs said of Wilson: “I think he’s quality, there’s no doubt he’s quality.
“If Celtic were to get Wilson, and he is playing to the levels that he can be, he’s the best striker in Scotland. There’s no doubt about that.
“I know he’s been on a pay-per-play contract at West Ham, and that’s gone. To be honest, a six-month contract at Celtic at the end of the season, for me, is not a gamble.
“He’s somebody who knows he can score goals. He probably fits the profile of a player that Martin seems to get the best out of as well.
“Martin will have in his head a profile of certain positions, what he’s expecting from it.”
“Stubbs insisted the remaining weeks of the window will make or break Celtic’s season – but he’s convinced O’Neill has the clout to force the Parkhead board into action.
“Martin’s most important business right now is sitting down with the recruitment team and going through what was our target for January, and saying yes, no, no, no, yes, yes, yes.
“Who’s available? What’s the price? What’s the wages? Can we get them?
“If he can come through this transfer window bringing in however many players he feels he needs and if he can get them across the line, that could be the most important three weeks of Celtic’s season.
“I think the one thing you’ve got between the two managers is that they would certainly trust Martin’s judgement more than what Wilfried Nancy had.
“Nancy hadn’t gained the trust, and I think that’s very important, especially when you’re looking to outlay significant investments in players.”
Callum Wilson at Celtic… yes or no?
The career of Celtic-linked Callum Wilson
Beginning his career at hometown club Coventry City, Wilson joined Bournemouth in 2014 after hitting 22 goals in League One.
He became a club hero under Eddie Howe, spearheading their promotion to the Premier League and scoring 67 goals over 187 appearances.
Wilson scored on his England debut against the USA in 2018 and played at the World Cup four years later. He made a £20 million move to Newcastle in 2020.
He scored 49 goals for the Magpies before joining West Ham ahead of this season. After four league goals for the Hammers, he is available on a free transfer aged 33.
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