Celtic kick off their Scottish Premiership season with a clash with Kilmarnock at Parkhead on Sunday as the aim to win the title for the fourth year in succession.
Brendan Rodgers may also want more success across all competitions after his side were knocked out of the League Cup in August last year and finished bottom of their Champions League group.
The summer transfer window has provided the Hoops with an opportunity to bolster the squad and ensure that it is ready to compete on all fronts next term.
As of yet, however, the Bhoys have not made many alterations to the group. Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo, two goalkeepers, are the only signings made by the Premiership champions to date, as they look to replace Joe Hart.
The Hoops have been linked with a swoop to bring Ireland international Adam Idah back from Norwich City after his loan spell at Paradise last season.
Sky Sports recently reported that the striker is open to returning to Parkhead and wants to move on from Carrow Road. However, Celtic have had an offer of £4m rejected by the English side and are yet to return with another offer.
The Scottish giants could land an even better signing than Idah, though, as they are reportedly interested in a proven Premiership goal machine.
Celtic’s interest in Premiership star
According to HITC, the Hoops have turned their attention to a potential swoop for Hearts centre-forward Lawrence Shankland as an alternative to the Irishman.
The report claims that Norwich value Idah at around £8m, twice as much as Celtic offered for him earlier this summer, and that has caused the club to look at other options in the striker market.
It states that the Bhoys are exploring other number nines as they currently face an anxious wait to see if they are able to strike a deal for the 6 foot 3 star, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Parkhead.
HITC adds that the Premiership giants are now stepping up their interest in Shankland, who won the division’s Player of the Year award last term.
The Daily Record recently reported that Celtic’s closest rivals Rangers are considering a bid for the Scotland international and that they have the funds to test the Jam Tarts.
It added that the Gers are hoping that an offer of £3m will be enough to tempt them into a sale, as the forward has one year left on his contract.
With this in mind, Celtic must now splash £3m to sign Shankland as a better signing than landing Idah for more than double that at £8m this summer.
Adam Idah’s form for Celtic
The Ireland international arrived on loan from the Canaries for the second half of the season and hit the ground running by making an immediate impact on the pitch.
He did not establish himself as a regular starter, as Kyogo Furuhashi remained the first-choice option for Rodgers, but did showcase his goalscoring prowess in limited minutes.
Idah only started five of his 15 appearances in the division in his four months with the Hoops but did contribute with an eye-catching eight goals and two assists.
| 23/24 Premiership | Adam Idah |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 15 |
| Starts | 5 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Big chances missed | 7 |
| Conversion rate | 27% |
| Minutes per goal | 76 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old ace was a prolific scorer in his short time in Glasgow and could be an exciting signing if the club are able to bring him back this summer.
However, it is also a small sample size and there are still plenty of question marks over him. Firstly, he is yet to prove that he has what it takes to find the back of the net week-in-week-out over the course of an entire season as a regular starter.
Also, Idah has only scored 17 goals in 115 matches in all competitions for Norwich in his senior career in Norfolk to date and it remains to be seen whether or not his form for Celtic was just a flash in the pan.
Whereas, Shankland is an experienced and proven Premiership star who could come in and provide Rodgers with a reliable number nine option.
Lawrence Shankland’s goalscoring record
The Scotland international is five years older than Idah and would arrive as a striker with plenty of experience in the division, which could allow him to slot straight into the side as a key player.
As aforementioned, Shankland won the league’s Player of the Year award for the 2023/24 campaign and this shows how highly his peers rate him at that level.
The 28-year-old star, who was once described as “clinical” by journalist Euan Robertson, has racked up a staggering 206 goals in 417 matches in his career at club level in all competitions.
This shows that the impressive marksman has been a consistent goal threat throughout his career, with almost one goal every other game on average.
He has plundered 55 goals and 14 assists across 120 games in the Premiership as part of that, which speaks to his incredible ability to find the net on a regular basis in the Scottish top-flight.
His quality in the division was on full display during the 2023/24 campaign as the Hearts skipper racked up an eye-catching 24 league goals.
| 23/24 Premiership | Lawrence Shankland (Hearts) |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 37 |
| Goals | 24 |
| Big chances missed | 9 |
| Conversion rate | 18% |
| Assists | 4 |
| Big chances created | 6 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As you can see in the table above, Shankland rarely passed up an opportunity to score in the Premiership last term, as he only missed nine ‘big chances’ in total.
He is a clinical finisher who does not need many chances to find the back of the net and that is why the Scottish ace could be a fantastic signing for Celtic.
Unlike Idah, Shankland has an extensive and impressive track record in Scottish football and scoring goals, which means that he could come in with a greater chance of success, whilst costing £5m less.
