Celtic now exploring transfer to signal O’Neill’s new Henrik Larsson

Martin O’Neill could have labored his magic throughout his first interim spell in cost at Celtic, however the 73-year-old – regardless of profitable seven of eight video games in all competitions – is not a miracle man. This squad is in determined want of enchancment.

Wilfried Nancy’s ill-suited 3-4-2-1 set-up actually uncovered the issues too enormously, however flaws they continue to be, with the shortage of an sufficient, dependable centre-forward maybe the most important concern dealing with O’Neill proper now.

Johnny Kenny, Shin Yamada, Callum Osmand and Kelechi Iheanacho, a mish-mash quartet which have scored simply 9 targets between all of them season.

Hoops followers might be trying again fondly on Ange Postecoglou’s tenure, and the pleasant headache of selecting between Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis, with the skilled duo two strikers really value their salt.

Wanting even additional again, O’Neill is aware of higher than most the worth of a top quality attacking pool at Parkhead, particularly John Hartson, Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson. Can the membership get near such highs once more?

It really beggars perception that the Celtic hierarchy signed off on the deal to permit Adam Idah to maneuver on to Swansea Metropolis late in the summertime window, in opposition to Brendan Rodgers’ needs, whereas having not secured a confirmed alternative.

It took a post-deadline day transfer totally free agent Iheanacho to bolster the centre-forward ranks, though the Nigerian has been tormented by damage since, with the aforementioned Osmand additionally at the moment sidelined.

With that in thoughts, the Scottish Solar are reporting that O’Neill has knowledgeable the board that he needs a brand new striker signing as quickly as doable, with the membership having been exploring choices over the past 24 hours or so.

The piece notes that the Hoops have been engaged on a doable shock return for that man Kyogo, only a yr on from having offered the Japanese hero for £10m to Rennes.

Now at Birmingham Metropolis, the 30-year-old might doubtlessly be in line for a shock Parkhead homecoming on a mortgage foundation, with there even suggestion he might arrive previous to the weekend conflict with Dundee United.

Encouragingly, the report goes on to state that ‘different transfers are being labored on too’.

As already acknowledged, O’Neill is aware of a factor or two about elite strikers, with Larsson having been the treble winner’s talisman all these years in the past, scoring 242 targets in 315 video games for the Glasgow aspect in complete.

Within the trendy period, Kyogo has come as shut as anybody to emulating the legendary Swede, with O’Neill himself describing the striker as being “nearly as good as anybody since Henrik left“.

Frustratingly for the previous Vissel Kobe man, he hasn’t discovered his groove away from Scotland, failing to attain in any respect in France, whereas having been unable to attain a single league objective in 23 Championship outings for Birmingham.

Very a lot the Blues’ reply to Michel Ange Balikwisha, you would argue, though these latest woes shouldn’t overshadow simply what a menace Kyogo was in his Celtic pomp. He ought to be welcomed again with open arms.

The trendy-day, goalscoring talisman for the Hoops, like Larsson earlier than him, Kyogo fired in 85 targets in 165 video games previous to leaving for Ligue 1, proving a specific thorn within the aspect of Rangers with eight in 17 in opposition to the Ibrox outfit.

Larsson too, was a king of the derby, scoring 15 occasions in all earlier than departing for Barcelona, together with that pleasant dink below O’Neill within the 6-2 thrashing again in 2000.

He could have been inherited by O’Neill, however the enigmatic coach utilised his Scandinavian star to devastating impact. Can he do the identical with Kyogo?

It should be mentioned, it would not paint a reasonably image for the Hoops which have already introduced again the likes of Kieran Tierney and Jota over the previous yr, with that not precisely pointing to a functioning scouting system.

However, Kyogo, specifically, has been there and carried out it, and at a time when Celtic cannot afford to sink any decrease, he might properly be the person to steer them again on target.

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