Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is reportedly mulling a move for a top marksman as he looks to enhance his squad during the January transfer window.
Celtic seeks an advantage in the Premiership title contest…
After suffering back-to-back losses earlier in December, Celtic bounced back to defeat Livingston, Dundee, Rangers, and St Mirren four times in a row, putting them in the lead in the Scottish Premiership title race going into the Christmas break.
The Hoops currently lead their rivals throughout the city by eight points, but Philippe Clement’s team still has two games remaining to possibly close the gap. This means that there is still a lot of work to be done at Parkhead during the window if the Hoops are to maintain their lead at the top.
This month, the Hoops are looking for reinforcements.
Naturally, with the additional constraint of Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, Oh Hyeon-gyu, Yang Hyun-jun, and Marco Tilio out on Asian Cup duty, Rodgers will have to work toward bringing in new signings. This could open the door for a new striker to move to Parkhead this month.
Brondby striker Mathias Kvistgaarden is reportedly on the radar of the Hoops, and they may have gotten an advantage in their pursuit of the Denmark Under-21 international because his other suitors, Schalke 04, are unlikely to be able to afford him this window, according to reports in Germany via The Daily Record.
Nevertheless, after seeing a bid of £4 million rejected in the summer, Football Scotland has since stated that Celtic have not returned with a better offer for the forward. Recent reports suggest that the Scottish powerhouses are now looking to trade for a different marksman who has performed exceptionally well this season.
Celtic are big fans of Lawrence Shankland.
Heart of Midlothian captain Lawrence Shankland is reportedly being targeted by Celtic, according to HITC. However, Everton, Sheffield United, Burnley, and Crystal Palace are also interested in the Scotland international, meaning the Premier League will compete with Celtic for his services.
| Lawrence Shankland in 2023/24 – Scottish Premiership key statistics (Sofascore) | |
| Shots per game | 3.6 |
| Shots on target per game | 1.4 |
| Team of the week inclusions | 4 |
| Scoring frequency | 145 mins |
| Key passes per game | 1.1 |
| Average match rating | 7.24/10 |
Along with unidentified foreign clubs, Hull City and Middlesbrough are reported to be interested in the former Dundee United player. Shankland was described as a “fantastic finisher” by Hoops manager Aaron Rodgers last week, prior to his team’s 2-1 victory over Rangers at Parkhead.
Shankland, who had somewhat of a nomadic lifestyle before relocating to Hearts in 2022, has clearly regained his shooting form this season, registering 18 goals and dishing out three assists in 28 games (Shankland statistics – Transfermarkt).
Although it’s unclear if Shankland’s off-ball skills would mesh well with Aaron Rodgers’ style of play, he is a man of the net and should have no trouble finding admirers as the transfer market opens.
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