Celtic lining up swoop for £7m “goal machine”

Celtic continued to ramp up their preparations for the 2025/26 marketing campaign with their newest pre-season conflict in opposition to Portuguese giants Sporting earlier this week.

Targets from Reo Hatate, who scored from the penalty spot, and Luke McCowan within the second half secured a snug 2-0 win for the Hoops over the Liga Portugal champions.

Brendan Rodgers’ aspect have now received three of their 4 pre-season friendlies this summer time, having additionally overwhelmed Cork Metropolis and Queen’s Park, and so they face Premier League aspect Newcastle United this weekend.

These pre-season video games are primarily health workout routines to organize gamers for the upcoming season, however additionally they serve to establish who is able to be a frontline choice and who could have to take a backseat within the squad.

One participant who has not furthered their trigger to be a starter within the 2025/26 marketing campaign is centre-forward Adam Idah, who missed a number of massive probabilities within the win over Sporting.

The previous Norwich Metropolis striker is presently the one senior quantity 9 choice out there to Rodgers on the time of writing, however which will change earlier than the top of the window.

Why Adam Idah is probably not a starter subsequent season

When Celtic agreed a deal value as much as £9.5m to signal Idah from the Canaries final summer time, the Scottish Premiership champions could have been pondering that they’d their beginning striker for the foreseeable future within the constructing.

Nevertheless, Idah’s performances in his first full season at Parkhead didn’t dwell as much as the expectations that got here with such a hefty price ticket, even supposing he ended the marketing campaign with 20 targets in all competitions.

That haul of 20 targets did are available 54 appearances, although, and consistency was a problem for the Eire worldwide, who didn’t hold his place within the beginning XI frequently, beginning 22 of his 45 appearances within the Premiership and the Champions League.

As proven within the clip above, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon defined that the striker wants to search out extra consistency in his all-round performances and must suppose extra about his choices on the pitch.

Idah’s inconsistency in entrance of aim within the Premiership was a problem for him within the 2024/25 marketing campaign, as his ending left quite a bit to be desired at occasions.

As you may see within the desk above, the Irishman had loads of high-quality openings in entrance of aim for the Hoops, however didn’t take advantage of them as he underperformed his xG by virtually two targets.

All of this collectively illustrates why Idah is probably not considered as a starter for Celtic subsequent season, notably amid curiosity in one other centre-forward.

Celtic eyeing £7m centre-forward

In response to TEAMtalk, Rodgers has recognized Wycombe Wanderers quantity 9 Richard Kone as a brand new goal for the Hoops to doubtlessly bolster their squad earlier than the top of the summer time switch window.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are lining up a swoop for the 22-year-old marksman as a attainable substitute for Daizen Maeda, who’s attracting curiosity from a bunch of groups within the Premier League.

Brentford, Everton, and West Ham United are among the many golf equipment eyeing up a attainable transfer for the Japan worldwide, who’s valued at £25m by Celtic.

TEAMtalk provides that it’s going to take a charge of round £7m to prise Kone away from Wycombe, and that could be a charge that the Hoops are solely keen to pay in the event that they money in on Maeda for an enormous switch charge.

This implies that it’s a switch pursuit that would rumble on late into the window, as it’s linked to Maeda’s future, however it’s a potential deal that ought to concern Idah.

Why Celtic signing Kone ought to concern Idah

The present Hoops quantity 9 ought to be involved by the membership’s curiosity in Kone as a result of the arrival of the £7m-rated star may outcome within the Irishman being consigned to the bench for almost all of the season.

As aforementioned, Idah did begin 22 of his 45 outings within the Premiership and the Champions League, which implies that he began slightly below half of the video games in these competitions. He additionally began 19 of his 35 appearances within the Premiership, particularly, as Rodgers gave him loads of alternatives to shine.

Kone’s arrival at Parkhead, although, in the event that they handle to signal him from Wycombe, would ship the previous Norwich man to the bench virtually completely, as a result of he might be an improve for the Hoops.

The Ivorian quantity 9’s performances for Wycombe in League One through the 2024/25 marketing campaign counsel that the potential is there for him to be a wonderful all-round centre-forward for Rodgers.

As you may see within the desk above, the Celtic goal plundered 18 targets from 15.89 xG within the division, which exhibits that he was a ruthless and environment friendly finisher for his aspect, ending the marketing campaign with 5 extra league targets than Idah managed for the Hoops.

Kone, who was hailed as a “aim machine” by teammate Joe Jacobson, additionally ranked extremely amongst his positional friends when it got here to finishing dribbles, profitable duels, and profitable aerial battles, which exhibits that he’s additionally a dynamic and bodily striker.

This implies that the £7m-rated star provides an all-round presence on the prime finish of the pitch, which is what Lennon urged Idah was lacking from his performances, which is another excuse why he might be an improve on the Irishman.

Due to this fact, the Celtic quantity 9 might be despatched packing to the bench as a daily tremendous substitute subsequent season if the membership can safe a deal for Kone, who could have the consistency in his all-round sport that he lacks.

The Wycombe star has proven consistency as a finisher, a dribbler, and a dueller in League One, which is similar league that Matt O’Riley was recruited from, and his spectacular attributes and efficiency counsel that Idah might be a bench hotter subsequent season if he joins the membership.