The Celtic fans in the Transfer Tavern are growing concerned by the hype surrounding Steven Gerrard at Rangers, and they are hoping their club will continue to exert their dominance in Scotland when the new season gets underway.
Brendan Rodgers’ side have comfortably dominated Scottish football in recent years whilst Rangers have undergone a significant rebuilding job, but the arrival of Gerrard at Ibrox suggests a strong challenge from the Gers looms on the horizon. In a bid to strengthen his squad before the new season, Gerrard has been active in the transfer market by bringing 4 new players to the club, but recent reports suggest he is far from finished just yet.
According to the Scottish Sun, Rangers are interested in signing Roma’s Nigerian striker Umar Sadiq (valued at £1.62 million by Transfermarkt) this summer on a season long loan deal, although any potential agreement rests upon NAC Breda who have an option to extend his stay with the club.
The 21-year-old moved to Breda in January on a short-term deal and he impressed in the Dutch Eredivisie by notching 5 goals and providing 3 assists from just 12 appearances – 6 of which were made from the substitutes bench.
With a record that impressive it’s no surprise that Rangers are expressing an interest in bringing him to Ibrox – especially considering their lack of options at centre-forward – but Rodgers should consider hijacking their bid in order to add a fresh dimension to his forward-line.
Rodgers relied on Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths to spearhead the Hoops’ attack last season, but at 6 foot 4 inches Sadiq represents a different proposition altogether.
Dembele and Griffiths are relatively mobile players who are able to play out wide and drop deeper to get possession of the ball, and neither offer too much by way of a physical presence in the final-third.
The arrival of Sadiq would change all that and give Rodgers a player who is more than capable of using his physicality to bully his opposite number and hold the ball up with his close control and commanding aerial presence.
Whilst the signing of a new striker is not a necessity for Celtic this summer, it’s certainly an advisable strategy to pursue, and the fact they can simultaneously prevent Rangers from strengthening by securing Sadiq’s signature should give them extra motivation to conclude a deal in the coming weeks.
Celtic fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
