Simon Donnelly offers Celtic Kelechi Iheanacho defence as new signing debate continues

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Celtic’s signing of Kelechi Iheanacho has not been met with universal fanfare from supporters.

A former Manchester City striker, who worked with Brendan Rodgers at Leicester, Iheanacho was brought to the club as a free agent following his release from Sevilla.

The club’s hierarchy has faced backlash, however, after moves for several targets, including a failed pursuit of Kasper Dolberg, failed to materialise previously.

Celtic did, however, manage to complete the signing in time to include Iheanacho in Rodgers’ Europa League announcement, announcing him hours before the registration deadline.

This, coupled with his undoubted pedigree as an international player who has played in the Champions League, is a potential reason for positivity in the view of one former Celtic man.

READ MORE: Celtic should’ve signed Bojan Miovski says Peter Grant amid Kelechi Iheanacho question

Celtic have signed a quality player in Iheanacho, says Simon Donnelly

Given the timing of Iheanacho’s signing, the striker has the opportunity to use the international break as a period to get fit, with several questions being raised about his fitness.

For Simon Donnelly, this is the only question – but Iheanacho’s ability is clear to the former Celtic forward, speaking on Clyde Superscoreboard.

He said: “I don’t know if relief was correct, but I was happy that they had brought a striker in – because outwith that you’re looking at Maeda again, or Johnny Kenny, who’s not had a lot of game time.

“Iheanacho, I’m not going to put my neck on the line, but he is a quality player. He’s 28 and turning 29 next month, so it’s whether he’s got the hunger still to go and do it.

“Brendan Rodgers has worked with him before; he’s not played a lot of football, and it’s a last-minute dot-com to get him in.”

Iheanacho’s ability was clear in his younger days, when he earned a money-spinning move to Leicester with outstanding performances as a youngster at Manchester City.

However, having struggled to make an impact at Middlesbrough so far this year, the jury is definitely out ahead of his Celtic spell.

Do Celtic need another signing?

Celtic may have already submitted their Europa League squad, but with so many questions about their lack of attacking depth, another free arrival could be on the cards.

Emmanuel Dennis is one name to have been suggested, as another Nigerian international striker who can play right across the frontline. A former Club Brugge and Watford star, he was most recently on loan from Nottingham Forest to Blackburn.

The Hoops have also been linked with former Leeds man Patrick Bamford, though similar questions surrounding his fitness exist. Both players would mainly come in as strikers.

With Yang Hyun-Jun and James Forrest the squad’s only recognised right-wingers, a free agent addition in that position – some have mentioned Hakim Ziyech – would be of equal benefit.