Celtic nearly signed Haaland-esque striker

It’s honest to say that the deadline day of the summer time switch window at the beginning of this month didn’t go precisely to plan for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers.

The Hoops needed to make a number of additions to their ahead line heading into the day, and allowed Adam Idah to signal for Swansea Metropolis on a everlasting deal.

Sebastian Tounekti arrived from Hammarby on a everlasting deal so as to add to the supervisor’s choices on the best wing, however they didn’t land a striker or a proper winger.

Celtic had been reportedly excited by a deal to signal Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on mortgage from Crystal Palace, just for him to stay at Selhurst Park. In the meantime, the membership made a £10m provide to signal Kasper Dolberg from Anderlecht, however misplaced the race for his signature to Dutch giants Ajax.

Lacking out on these offers meant that the Scottish Premiership giants needed to dip into the free agent market to tempt Kelechi Iheanacho right into a reunion with Rodgers at Parkhead, having labored with him at Leicester Metropolis in England.

While it stays to be seen whether or not or not the previous Manchester Metropolis centre-forward shall be successful in Glasgow, it was a blow for the Hoops to overlook out on Dolberg.

Why lacking out on Kasper Dolberg was a blow for Celtic

Lacking out on a deal to signal the Denmark worldwide from Anderlecht on deadline day was a giant blow for Celtic as a result of he might have been the principle quantity 9 for the membership this season.

As aforementioned, Idah’s transfer to Swansea left the Hoops in want of a brand new centre-forward. Dolberg’s type in Belgium in latest seasons means that he might have been the proper alternative.

The brand new Ajax signing scored 44 targets in 96 appearances in all competitions for Anderlecht, per Transfermarkt, and began the present marketing campaign with a return of 5 targets in 9 video games.

Dolberg’s output within the Belgian Professional League within the 2024/25 marketing campaign compared to Idah’s within the Premiership, specifically, illustrates the gulf in school between the 2.

As you possibly can see within the desk above, the 27-year-old marksman might have arrived at Parkhead as a giant improve on the Eire worldwide to supply Rodgers with a deadly and dependable centre-forward possibility this season.

As an alternative, Celtic have needed to take a big gamble on Kelechi Iheanacho, who scored 4 targets in 26 matches in all competitions final season for Sevilla and Middlesbrough mixed, per Sofascore.

Due to this fact, Celtic’s failure to get a deal over the road for Dolberg on deadline day final week was, finally, a giant blow due to his high quality and due to the gamble they’ve needed to make on account of that failure.

The membership’s choices within the quantity 9 place might have seemed quite a bit completely different, although, as a result of they as soon as had a striker on trial who’s now value greater than £20m greater than the £10m they bid on Dolberg.

Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson, who’s presently mortgage at Roma, beforehand revealed that he had trials with the Scottish giants in his youthful days.

Celtic missed out on Evan Ferguson

When requested final October if Celtic had tried to signal him in latest seasons, the striker mentioned: “No, nothing. I went on just a few trials after I was youthful.”

The younger marksman performed for St. Kevins Boys and Bohemians in Eire earlier than his transfer to Brighton’s academy in 2021, however it’s unclear as to when he went on trials with the Hoops, whether or not it was simply earlier than his transfer to Brighton or earlier than his transfer to Bohemians.

Both method, Celtic will rue the truth that they missed out on bringing him over to Glasgow, whether or not it was their resolution or his, as a result of he’s now a prime striker prospect who’s an extremely helpful asset.

Ferguson scored 18 targets in 39 matches for Brighton at U21 stage, per Transfermarkt, earlier than being thrust into first-team motion on the age of 17. He was valued at simply £519k by Transfermarkt when he made that step up.

The Eire worldwide has scored 17 targets in 80 first-team matches for Brighton, however he could not get an opportunity so as to add to that tally as a result of Roma reportedly have an choice to signal him on a everlasting foundation for a price of roughly £35m, which reveals how a lot his worth has soared lately.

Ferguson, who scored in opposition to Hungary for Eire final weekend, scored two targets in two video games for his nation throughout the present worldwide break, however remains to be on the lookout for his first aggressive purpose for Roma.

As you possibly can see within the desk above, the 20-year-old marksman’s ending high quality within the Premier League for Brighton means that he’ll rating targets for the Italian aspect if they supply him with sufficient possibilities.

Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker in contrast him to Manchester Metropolis striker Erling Haaland throughout the 2023/24 marketing campaign, saying: “I do see a touch of Haaland about him, his stature, his motion, his youth and stuff like that.”

That was an extremely excessive reward from Lineker, a former striker himself, and it got here off the again of Ferguson scoring six targets within the Premier League as a teenage centre-forward, which is partly why he’s such a helpful younger participant, as a result of he has confirmed himself in a serious European league.

Now, he’s value £35m, £25m greater than the £10m that Celtic had been keen to pay for Dolberg, and the Hoops might do with a proficient striker like him of their present squad after their deadline day woes.