Celtic may bring in a new centre-forward to compete with the likes of Adam Idah, Shin Yamada, and Johnny Kenny before the summer transfer window slams shut.
Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the Hoops want to “improve” their “forward” options after his side beat St Mirren 1-0 at Parkhead in their first match of the Scottish Premiership season.
When looking at potential options to add to the club’s striker ranks, the Premiership champions do not have to sign a marquee forward from one of Europe’s major leagues.
In fact, one of Celtic’s most successful striker signings in the past 15 years or so was Gary Hooper, who joined from Scunthorpe United in 2010.
Celtic hit the jackpot with Gary Hooper
In the two seasons prior to his move to Glasgow, the English marksman scored 19 goals in the Championship and 24 goals in League One for Scunthorpe, but he had never played in the Premier League.
The Hoops took a gamble on a player from the lower leagues in England and they hit the jackpot with Hooper, as he went on to be a roaring success at Parkhead.
In 138 matches for the Scottish giants, the prolific forward racked up an eye-catching haul of 82 goals and 30 assists in all competitions, before sealing a move to Norwich in 2014.
Hooper was an exceptional striker for the Hoops, as evidenced by his sensational goal return, and Celtic can now repeat that masterclass with a swoop for Richard Kone.
Why Celtic should sign Richard Kone
The Scottish giants are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Wycombe Wanderers star, who is valued at £7m by the English club, as he could be Hooper 2.0.
As was the case when Hooper joined, Kone would arrive at Parkhead without any top-flight or European football under his belt. He has only played at League One level with the Choir Boys to date.
This means that the Ivorian marksman would join as a young, at the age of 22, and hungry striker who has everything to prove, rather than being an experienced forward who may see a move to Celtic as a step down or a last payday.
His form for Wycombe in League One last season also suggests that Kone has the potential to be an effective and exciting number nine option for Rodgers to call upon if the Hoops get a deal over the line for him.
|
24/25 League One |
Richard Kone |
Percentile rank vs STs |
|---|---|---|
|
xG |
15.89 |
Top 7% |
|
xG on target |
16.84 |
Top 6% |
|
Goals |
18 |
Top 7% |
|
xA |
3.33 |
Top 8% |
|
Assists |
3 |
Top 32% |
|
Successful dribbles |
44 |
Top 6% |
|
Duels won |
240 |
Top 5% |
|
Aerial duels won |
131 |
Top 9% |
As you can see in the table above, Kone outperformed his xG by just over two goals and ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of metrics, as a goalscorer, a creator, and as a physical presence.
These statistics suggest that he could thrive in a Celtic team that creates plenty of chances, as evidenced by the three ‘big chances’ that were created for Idah against St Mirren.
Idah failed to take any of those three opportunities to find the back of the net, but the Wycombe star’s form last term suggests that he would not be as wasteful.
Kone, whose nine-minute hat-trick in League One last season was dubbed “extraordinary” by pundit Gabriel Sutton, could be the lethal and consistent striker that Celtic are looking for, which is why they should be pushing to sign the lower leagues star in a Hooper repeat.
