Celtic hit gold on “phenomenal” star

Is there a real title race in Scotland this 12 months, one not involving Rangers?

On Sunday, Celtic fought again from 2-1 right down to beat Motherwell 3-2 at Parkhead, with Daizen Maeda heading house a late winner, getting on the top of Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s cross.

Nonetheless, Brendan Rodgers’ aspect, who’re but to lose, usually are not prime of the desk, nonetheless two factors adrift unbeaten Coronary heart of Midlothian, following their last-gasp winner within the Edinburgh derby; the highest two meet in an enormous conflict at Tynecastle on 26 October.

If the Celts are going to safe a fifth successive Premiership title, which might be a 14th crown in 15 seasons, their attacking summer season signings can be key – and never simply Sebastian Tounekti.

Sebastian Tounekti’s begin to life at Celtic

In determined want of attacking reinforcements, Celtic signed Tounekti from Hammarby for a reported charge of £5.2m on deadline day.

Many believed the membership had overpaid for the Tunisian worldwide however, to this point, he has impressed in hoops.

The winger bagged his first aim for the membership in opposition to Partick Thistle within the League Cup, beginning all three Premiership matches in addition to each within the Europa League since arriving.

Thus, Tounekti is at present Rodgers’ first-choice possibility on the left flank, forcing final season’s top-scorer Daizen Maeda over to the fitting, with left-back Kieran Tierney labelling him a “pleasure to play with” following the aforementioned win at Firhill.

However, Celtic did really signal an attacker totally free this summer season who’s estimated to have a fair larger switch worth.

Celtic’s prolific new attacker

Farcically, on the time the switch window slammed shut, Celtic had been left with out a senior centre-forward, with Adam Idah having been bought to Swansea for round £7m, whereas the membership’s fledgling try to signal Kasper Dolberg, who had no real interest in coming, surprisingly didn’t transpire.

Thus, left with 24 hours to safe the signature of a free agent earlier than the UEFA squad registration deadline, the membership picked up Kelechi Iheanacho, solely obtainable to affix as a result of Sevilla agreed to terminate his contract, after he scored zero La Liga targets for los Nervionenses.

The desk beneath paperwork the Nigerian’s current downturn in kind, therefore why he has to this point exceeded expectations.

Because the desk outlines, since first bursting onto the scene at Manchester Metropolis a decade in the past, Iheanacho has solely reached double figures by way of targets in a single marketing campaign twice, doing so in back-to-back campaigns, that includes his best-ever 12 months, which stays 2020/21 throughout lockdown.

Nonetheless, that might be about to alter.

The Nigerian transformed a stoppage-time match-winning penalty at Kilmarnock on debut, subsequently netting in opposition to Crvena zvezda in Belgrade and through the weekend win over Motherwell.

Upon his arrival in Glasgow, Rodgers, who had beforehand been his supervisor at Leicester, lauded him as a “phenomenal” expertise up to now, whereas Jacek Kulig of Soccer Expertise Scout labels him a “prolific” goalscorer.

Because of this, Transfermarkt estimates that his present market worth is round €4.5m (£3.9m), whereas Tounekti’s present estimated worth is at simply €4m (£3.4m), albeit is on the up.

Any Celtic striker, on condition that the Hoops dominate each home match they play, will get loads of alternatives to attain loads of targets, however the early indicators are that snapping up Iheanacho was one thing of a masterstroke, on condition that he might show to be a discount.