Celtic could be in the market to add a new centre-forward to their squad during the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last week.
Firstly, Hyeon-gyu Oh has reportedly been the subject of a £4m bid from Belgian giants Genk and could move on from Parkhead after being the third-choice number nine during the second half of last season.
The South Korea international found himself struggling for minutes as Brendan Rodgers preferred Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah ahead of him in the pecking order.
Football Insider have also reported that the Hoops would be willing to cash in on Kyogo if an offer of around £25m lands on the table this summer.
Amid speculation that the club's only two senior centre-forward options could be on their way out of Glasgow, the Bhoys are said to be keen on a permanent deal to bring Idah back to Paradise after his loan spell from Norwich City earlier this year.
The Scottish giants have now been linked with another striker who could come in to add more firepower to the squad and thrive alongside attacking midfielder Matt O'Riley.
Celtic's eyeing up in-demand marksman
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo (18/06/24), as relayed by Sport Witness, the Hoops are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign Panathinaikos centre-forward Fotis Ioannidis this summer.
The report claims that the Bhoys are in contention to snap up the Greek international to compete for the starting number nine role at Parkhead next season.
It states that the Scottish Premiership champions are 'serious' competition to the other teams keen on a move to land the impressive marksman over the coming weeks.
O Jogo adds that Girona, Lazio, Sevilla, Ipswich Town, Sporting, and Lille are all also in the race to sign Ioannidis, which illustrates how tough it will be for Rodgers to get a deal over the line for him.
The report also reveals that Panathiniakos are hoping to rake in a fee of up to €30m (£25m) for their star finisher and that Sporting were willing to offer €20m (£16.8m) to take him to Portugal.
Celtic's current club-record signing stands at the £9m they spent to sign Odsonne Edouard from PSG in the summer of 2018, which makes a £25m swoop for the Greek dynamo seem unlikely.
However, if no teams are prepared to meet the £25m valuation then the Super League side could be forced to lower it, which could bring the Bhoys back into the picture from a financial perspective.
If they can somehow work out a way to bring him to Parkhead then he would be a dream player for O'Riley to play alongside in the 2024/25 campaign.
Why Matt O'Riley is a striker's dream
Firstly, the Hoops must ensure that they can keep hold of the Denmark international before the window slams shut amid interest from elsewhere.
Atletico Madrid are reportedly keen on a deal to add the central midfielder to Diego Simeone's squad and have been told that it will cost them €40m (£33m) to secure his services, but they are only willing to offer €20m (£15.8m) at this moment in time.
It is not difficult to understand why Celtic value him so highly after the incredible season he had in the Premiership last term under Rodgers' management.
The Danish wizard proved himself to be a striker's dream due to both his ability to consistently finish chances, as well as his constant stream of creativity in the middle of the park.
He had only produced three goals in 38 league games in Ange Postecoglou's final year at Parkhead and Rodgers' arrival in 2023 helped to unlock his goalscoring potential.
Sofascore rating
7.91
1st
Goals
18
1st
Assists
13
1st
Big chances created
14
1st
Key passes per game
2.5
1st
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old wizard led the squad in a host of key attacking metrics, including goals scored, assists provided, and 'big chances' created.
These statistics show that the left-footed maestro would be a dream for a striker due to his fantastic ability to consistently unlock opposition defences to create chances for his teammates, which could provide the attacker with ample opportunities to find the back of the net.
Why Celtic should sign Fotis Ioannidis
Ioannidis would also be a dream for O'Riley as he is an efficient finisher who can make the most of the chances that the midfielder creates, whilst also being a centre-forward who can create for others.
The 24-year-old marksman, who was described as "complete" by analyst Ben Mattinson, registered seven assists and created eight 'big chances' in 27 Super League appearances last term.
No Celtic striker managed as many assists or 'big chances' created in the Premiership, which suggests that more high-quality opportunities could be created for O'Riley to add even more goals to his game next term if the Greek ace is leading the line for Celtic.
Alongside his creative skills, Ioannidis is also a ruthless finisher who has the potential to be far more effective in front of goal than Kyogo for the Hoops.
Appearances
27
38
Goals
15
14
Minutes per goal
137
179
Big chances created
9
24
Conversion rate
19%
14%
As you can see in the table above, the Panathinaikos titan significantly outperformed the Japan international with his quality as a finisher at league level.
Despite playing 11 fewer games, the £25m-rated star scored more goals, missed a staggering 15 fewer 'big chances' and found the back of the net more frequently in relation to minutes played.
This suggests that he would be a dream for O'Riley in the final third as the Danish magician, who created 14 'big chances' in the Premiership last season, could benefit from the striker's fantastic finishing as it could boost his assist tally.
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Overall, the statistics indicate that the former MK Dons maestro and Ioannidis could form a lethal partnership at Parkhead moving forward if Celtic can keep one and sign the other before the window slams shut, due to their respective quality as scorers and creators of goals.
