Fair to say, Monday was a day of mixed emotions for Celtic supporters.

Superstar centre-forward Kyōgo Furuhashi’s move to Stade Rennais, for a reported £10m, was confirmed but, at the same time, it was announced that Jota had rejoined the club, going in the opposite direction from les Rouge et Noirs, costing £9m, having been sold to Saudi side Al-Ittihad for almost three times that amount just 18 months ago.

Celtic seeking to sign a new striker

Kyōgo’s departure leaves Brendan Rodgers’ side short of a centre-forward, so could the run-away Scottish Premiership leaders look to the Premier League for reinforcements?

According to the Daily Mail, Celtic have asked about signing Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson on loan this month.

They add that Everton, Spurs, Fulham and West Ham are also seeking a loan deal, while Mark Pirie also of the Daily Record, reports that Bournemouth and a selection of Bundesliga clubs are also “touted as interested suitors”.

Earlier this week, Andy Naylor of the Athletic reported that Ferguson is ‘set for talks’ as he pushes for a January loan move, with Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler stating: “It’s very important that we talk about these things internally, that we know the player’s view”.

The Republic of Ireland international has made just 14 appearances this season, totalling a mere 373 minutes, starting just twice in the Premier League, unable to usurp Danny Welbeck, João Pedro or Georginio Rutter in the pecking order.

How Evan Ferguson would improve Celtic

Not so long ago, Ferguson was described by Ryan Adsett of TSR Football as “one of the most exciting centre-forwards on the planet”, this after his goal against Wolves, which brought to an end the Irishman’s 336-day goal draught.

Ferguson’s stock was at its highest in August 2023, when he scored a hat-trick against Newcastle, becoming the fourth-youngest player in Premier League history to bag a treble, behind only Michael Owen, Chris Bart-Williams and Robbie Fowler.

Michael Owen

1998

25

126

Robbie Fowler

1994

22

140

Nicolas Anelka

1998

12

221

Francis Jeffers

1999

12

172

Wayne Rooney

2005

11

175

Evan Ferguson

2023

11

143

Now though, his career has unquestionably stalled, starting as many matches for his country as his club this season, but, still only 20-years-old, time is on his side, so could a move north of Hadrian’s Wall be what he needs to rediscover his best form?

As referenced earlier, Celtic are in need of a centre-forward; Kyōgo’s sale leaves Adam Idah as the only senior recognised striker at the club, with 21-year-old Johnny Kenny, a fellow Irishman, who’s played just 17 minutes for the first team, now the deputy.

So, could Celtic complete a trio of Irish strikers by bringing in Ferguson? Let’s see how he compares to the departing Kyōgo.

Appearances

64

82

Minutes

3,015

5,371

Goals

10

31

Goals per 90

0.30

0.52

Goals – xG

+1.5

-1

Shots on target %

50%

42.7%

Shots per 90

2.21

3.53

As outlined in the table, unsurprisingly, Kyōgo comes out on top in most metrics since the start of last season but, considering he is widely regarded as Celtic’s best striker since Henrik Larsson, this is certainly holding any replacement to a high standard.

Ferguson has, however, outperformed his xG during this time frame, unlike the Japanese forward, while a greater % of his shots do hit the target.

So, should the Irishman choose to join Celtic, who dominate the vast majority of domestic matches, this suggests he could be the clinical finisher they’re looking for, and perhaps this would be a good move for all parties.

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