Celtic are ahead of Rangers in race for 12-goal striker

Celtic are leading Glasgow rivals in the race for the striker who scored 12 goals last season and is available for just £2 million.

For a large portion of last season it had looked like Leigh Griffiths’ Celtic career was over. But the Scot had an incredible revival following the winter break, forcing his way back into Neil Lennon’s plans. So good was Griffiths’ form in the second half of the season that the manager was forced to tweak his formation in order to accommodate him with Odsonne Edouard in the starting line up.

That might open up the need for another striker at Parkhead. The club signed Polish striker Patryk Klimala for big money last season but it is safe to say that he has failed to impress the manager in the chances that he was given and was not even making the bench before the season had to be called off. Vakoun Issouf Bayo has also spent his tenure at Celtic either out injured or putting in subpar performances off the bench.

Thus, it might not be the worst idea in the world to bring in another striker and that seems to be exactly what the club are planning to do as they are being linked with Livingston striker Lyndon Dykes.

Dykes moved to Livingston last season and took to the Premiership like a duck to water. In his 33 appearances for the club, he scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists. If reports are to be believed then he is available for just £2 million. And according to the Daily Mail, both the Glasgow giants are interested.

Now nobody is making the case that Dykes would move to Celtic and be an immediate starter. But he could be a very good option behind Griffiths and Edouard. He has already shown that he can score in the top flight of Scottish football and his £2 million price tag means that the Hoops can afford to take a gamble on the striker. If it takes Bayo moving away, so be it, because it does not look like he has much of a future at Parkhead.

Having already spent a significant fee on Ianis Hagi, one would think that the Rangers are behind Celtic in the race for the 12-goal striker. And to be honest, any player with title ambitions will pick the Hoops over their Glasgow rivals.