Having already agreed a deal to sign Shin Yamada, Celtic have now reportedly joined the race to sign a former Premier League striker ahead of Manchester United.
Celtic agree deal to sign Yamada
With Nicolas Kuhn joining Serie A side Como 1907, Celtic have reportedly pushed on and agreed a deal to sign Japanese striker Yamada. The 25-year-old, alongside the likes of Benjamin Nygren, will be tasked with replacing the forward’s impact under Brendan Rodgers and looks set to become the latest Japanese player to make his way to the home of the Scottish champions.
The forward is unlikely to be the last name through the door, however. The Bhoys are also reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Following a season full of injury frustration, Balickwisha could be about to enter the most important chapter of his career so far and one he will hope does not feature similar setbacks as last time out.
Replacing a player of Kuhn’s calibre will be no easy task for Rodgers this summer, and it looks as though Celtic are aiming to solve that problem using more than just one target this summer.
In doing so, the Scottish champions will hope to match Kuhn’s output, which saw him score 21 goals and assist another 15 last season.
Related
Idah upgrade: Celtic in the race to sign £6.8m “complete number 9”
As Brendan Rodgers seeks to add more attacking firepower to his Celtic squad, could the Hoops sign a “quality” striker even better than Adam Idah?
Whether Yamada, Balickwisha and Benjamin Nygren have enough firepower to put up similar numbers remains the big question, but it doesn’t look as though Celtic are ready to leave things to chance. Instead, the Bhoys have reportedly joined the race to sign another reinforcement.
Celtic join race to sign free agent Calvert-Lewin
According to Caught Offside, Celtic are now interested in signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of the likes of Manchester United this summer. The Englishman is currently a free agent after leaving Everton earlier this summer and has attracted interest from a number of clubs as a result.
Even as a free agent, however, the forward won’t come cheap amid reports that he’s set to demand as much as £100,000-a-week, £5.2m a year, to sign for his next club. It’s already a salary that has forced Manchester United to hesitate, and it is, therefore, one that Celtic will certainly need to assess.
|
Calbert-Lewin in the Premier League |
Stats (via Transfermarkt) |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
239 |
|
Goals |
57 |
|
Assists |
18 |
After scoring 57 Premier League goals during his time at Everton, Calvert-Lewin, who is sponsored by Nike, is certainly a proven goalscorer at the top level. But there will remain question marks over his ability to get back to his best and avoid injuries.
Calvert-Lewin was once described as “excellent” by former Everton boss Sean Dyche, but there are simply question marks that Celtic can’t afford to have when chasing a player who’s reportedly demanding as much as £100,000-a-week.
