The transfer talk is starting early for Celtic as the injury to Kyogo Furuhashi put a sharp focus on what Brendan Rodgers has at his disposal should anything happen to his main striker.
And whilst Hyeongyu Oh came on against Aberdeen on Sunday and did well, there still remains a dire need for the Hoops to add another front man to their ranks.
And journalist, Mark Guidi, reckons that there is already a player within the Scottish Premiership that could come in and do a job for Celtic to replace Kyogo should he be called upon for the Asian Cup in January.
Guidi said [The Go Radio Football Show], “The thing is if Celtic sign a striker he’ll be playing. He’ll be a first-team striker because the guys will be away [on international duty].
“I think Hearts will have bids to deal with in January and I think now for me, he’s a minimum, £3m striker.
“For Celtic, what do you want? If you’re assessing someone like Lawrence Shankland what are the plus points?
“He knows the league inside out. He can score goals with his eyes shut. He’s a right good player. There’s no bedding in time as in any language barriers or moving to a new country.
“And if the fee is £3m or £3.5m, Celtic can afford to do that with their eyes shut.
“I’m not saying he is the absolute number one for them, but just somebody that’s under your nose, I don’t think there’s many better than Lawrence Shankland.”
There is no doubt that Shankland is a very decent striker for Hearts. But would the Gorgie club be willing to sell their captain to one of their league rivals? I very much doubt it.
Also, many Celtic fans would question whether or not he has it in him to become the main striker for a club that demands not only three points every week, but goals too.
Personally, I don’t think Shankland is the answer to the Kyogo question. Hyeongyu Oh on the other hand has proven that given time and opportunity, he also knows where the back of the net is.
Celtic do need to add another couple of bodies to their ranks in January and Im sure Brendan Rodgers has a shopping list heading towards the Celtic boardroom as we speak.
In other news, Martin O’Neill now makes claim about Henrik Larsson as he defends time at Nottingham Forest