[ad_pod ]

Celtic moved into the transfer market to sign Timothy Weah on loan last month and the 18-year-old has wasted no time in making an impression in Scotland, with Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas clearly impressed with what he has seen.

What's the word?

That Weah was on the books of a potential Champions League winner before he joined the Hoops naturally gave supporters reason to believe he could be a fantastic addition to the squad.

The exciting teenager has vindicated the pre-signing expectation with a handful of positive performances, scoring three goals in the process.

Both Weah's and Oliver Burke's performances have attracted plenty of interest in the media thus far, but it is the PSG loanee who has really caught the eye of Nicholas.

Indeed, he has delivered his verdict on Weah's times at Celtic Park thus far and drew parallels between him and the former Premier League goal machine Nicolas Anelka, per Sky Sports.

"He reminds me of when Nicholas Anelka first came into the Arsenal side - the speed and desire to get in with the markers, he reminds me a bit of that.

"Anelka was a better player but the confidence he will get from Celtic having so much of the ball as well as the support."

Potential replacement for Moussa Dembele?

The praise Weah has received from Nicolas is no surprise after the start he has enjoyed. Anelka enjoyed an illustrious career in top level European football, playing for the likes of Arsenal, Juventus, Real Madrid and Chelsea, as well as scoring 126 Premier League goals. 

As Nicholas has alluded to, it would be premature to tip him to emulate a player of Anelka's enormous quality. However, there are certainly signs from the early openings of his Celtic career to suggest that he could be a worthy replacement for Moussa Dembele.

The Bhoys have managed to temporarily fill the void left by his departure with the signings of Burke and Weah, but Rodgers cannot continue to rely on Odsonne Edouard next season without concluding a permanent striker deal.

In many respects Weah and Burke are undergoing an audition for the role of Demebele's successor, although the latter is more naturally suited to an attacking midfield or wide role.

With that said, the USA international could well convince Celtic's hierarchy to fork out for his signature in the summer if he continues to perform in the same eye-catching vein during the remainder of his temporary spell.