With Odsonne Edouard facing the Parkhead exit door, Celtic will need to find a replacement striker when the summer transfer window opens.
The Frenchman is close to joining a club in England, which will leave the Hoops in the lurch. After all, he is their top scorer over the last few seasons.
What’s the word?
One player who Celtic may target is Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi. The Bhoys were linked with a move for the physical forward back in January but, without a work permit to play in the United Kingdom, a switch wasn’t possible.
However, he has finally been granted a UK work permit ahead of a potential move in the summer months. The Liverpool Echo claimed that Awoniyi may cost any suitor around £8m-£10m and he certainly has plenty of admirers.
If Celtic are still interested, they will face competition from Fulham, West Brom and Stoke City. A trio of German clubs are also pursuing his signature.
Perfect for Howe?
If and when Eddie Howe finally joins Celtic, finding a new striker should be right at the top of his agenda.
Awoniyi might not have the greatest of goal tallies this season but he’s a player who looks as though he’s improving all the time. He has spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, where he hass scored five goals in 21 matches.
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The 23-year-old’s start to life in the German capital wasn’t great but, from a period between November and January, he proved his worth by netting five goals in seven games.
Described as a striker with “physical robustness”, he could work well in a Celtic side led by Eddie Howe. When in charge of the Cherries, he had Josh King at his disposal, a player with similar physical characteristics who ultimately scored a goal every 3.4 games with Howe at the helm.
Consequently, Awoniyi could also thrive in Scottish football under the stewardship of the seemingly incoming head coach.
Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast this year, German football expert Daniel Pinder said: “I haven't seen much of Edouard play, but looking at his stats, he scores plenty of goals, and I think Awoniyi could get the goals, but he needs the right players around him as he has at Union Berlin this season."
Pinder added: "If you look at his form for Union Berlin pre-injury, he is a player that could potentially get 15-20 goals in Scotland.”
With that in mind, Awoniyi would certainly be a valuable addition to Celtic. They must aim to take advantage of his situation this summer.