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Joining Celtic from VVV-Venlo in the summer transfer window of 2021, Giorgos Giakoumakis has proven to be a significant addition to Ange Postecoglou’s side. Following a slow start to life in Glasgow, he took his game up a few notches after the turn of the year and was arguably the most important player in the Hoops’ title charge in the second half of last season.
Not only did Giakoumakis amass a plethora of goals, but he also led the Hoops to a glorious Premiership triumph while Kyogo was out injured for quite some time.
Having become a fan favourite after his first season at the club, Giakoumakis was expected to remain at the club for the foreseeable future. But it looks like the situation has gradually changed, with the Greek forward rumoured to be seeking an exit as soon as possible, perhaps in the upcoming January transfer window.
Of course, if he does leave, it would be a major blow for Celtic, who do not have a lot of options at striker. And Chris Sutton appears to want to see the club hold on to the Greek international for the time being.
Celtic warned against letting striker leave in the middle of the season
Celtic legend, Sutton, wrote in his column in the Daily Record:
"Perhaps it’s time to let him loose again. It’s a slightly strange situation with the striker. I’ve said before, I’m a fan of Giakoumakis. I wouldn’t be thinking about selling him while the league is there to be won. I’m not party to what’s happening behind the scenes. It’s not for me to suggest a falling out or perhaps something going on in the background. There’s a lot of talk about contracts, the player being unhappy about game time and maybe wanting to leave. He came on in the final eight minutes the other night and there was a cryptic message of an egg timer he posted on social media, which might not have been the smartest thing to do. But I can understand his frustration. Players want to play and he might be entitled to think he deserves more of a crack at it.But at the same time, we don’t see the training every day. We don’t know if he’s doing enough to win over his manager. What we do know is Postecoglou has earned the trust of the supporters and everyone else. He’s barely put a foot wrong at the club and there’s no way he’s going to cut his nose to spite his face. Postecoglou also has lots of options in the attacking areas. He’s got his main men like Jota and Liel Abada but he’s also got Sead Haksabanovic, Daizen Maeda and James Forrest.They can all rotate and it doesn’t weaken the side in any way. The big debate is up front. I get why Kyogo is the go-to guy for Postecoglou. He’s got the pace and movement – and he also scored goals.The one the other night took him to 12 for the season so he’s not exactly slacking. But Giakoumakis does bring something different. It’s a really interesting one for me.I’m not saying the Greek striker is the answer but if Postecoglou is unhappy about the numbers in the box and attacking the ball in there, he looks like he could provide a straightforward solution."
Several reports have suggested that Giakoumakis is looking for a change in his career’s direction. It is also rumoured that he does not like the Scottish weather and has failed to agree to terms with the club over a contract extension.
From switching agents to posting a cryptic message of a sand clock emoji over a photograph of himself coming on as a substitute on his Instagram, Giakoumakis could potentially soon be elsewhere, but it would be interesting to see how the saga pans out over the coming weeks.