Peter Grant sends a blunt transfer message to Celtic amid striker search

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There has been a lot of talk about whether Celtic will dip into the January transfer market and buy a striker.

Less than a week remains before the window slams shut and there is still a chance for the powers that be to add to the number nine position.

Celtic have already boosted the attacking options following the arrival of winger Nicolas Kuhn – he could be in line to make his debut against Ross County on Saturday.

But when it comes to possibly bringing in competition for Kyogo Furuhashi and Hyeongyu Oh, it left Peter Grant sending a pretty blunt transfer message.

The Bhoys legend stated that if Celtic can’t better the above two players then ‘don’t buy it’, as he told Go Radio.

Hearts’ in-form captain Lawrence Shankland has been much talked about, but at the age of 28, what you are now seeing is what you are going to get, which is probably why some are against his possible arrival.

Then there is Bojan Miovski of Aberdeen. He can still climb a few levels because he is 24, but would he fair better than Kyogo? No. And would he do a better job from the bench than Hyeongyu Oh? Once again, questionable.

That’s why Peter Grant isn’t so keen on Celtic adding in another striker this month because he might not be the answer.

Celtic striker

“It’s going to be an interesting one,” said Grant. “See if you can’t better it, then don’t buy it.

“I always think if you are bringing someone into an important area of your club. When they come onto that training field, they have to make a difference in front of the players they play where they think ‘wow, there is something different’.

“People talk about Celtic and another centre-forward. If Oh comes back, Kyogo is there and will Maeda play through there?

“These are the guys who can play there. But see the players who are available for us to bring in. Are they going to be better? If the answer is no, why would you waste your money?!”

Kyogo Furuhashi is the bench mark

That’s how Celtic need to measure their striker search, not on Oh, who plays sporadically and doesn’t exactly earn regular starts.

If the likes of Shankland and Miovski were playing Oh’s role at Celtic, then they wouldn’t be in such great form or scoring the volume they are netting at, as of this moment.

Either way, it’s all about Kyogo. He is the difference-maker. The one who wins you the big trophies.

If there is a player out there who has the potential to do that or is already ready-made to boot the Japan star out of his place, then Celtic fans wouldn’t be too fussed about him joining.