Celtic recently agreed a new four-year deal with Kyogo Furuhashi. That is a massive boost for the Hoops. The Japanese striker scored 34 goals last season and was unsurprisingly linked with a move away from the club this summer. But now, it looks like he is set to stay on at Parkhead. They have Oh Hyeon-gyu in their ranks as well.
Celtic could do with a third striker though. After all, it was their finishing which let them down in the Champions League last season and they have another group stage coming up in Europe’s elite competition.
One striker that Celtic had been linked with recently is Zan Vipotnik. It is not hard to see why, as he has been superb form lately. According to stats from Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old scored 23 goals in 38 appearances for NK Maribor last season.
Thus, someone like Vipotnik could have been an excellent long-term addition for Celtic. But it looks like he is headed to Bordeaux instead.
Celtic handed blow in race to sign €5 million striker
As reported by TUTTOmercatoWEB, an agreement was found with Bordeaux for Vipotnik. It will be €3 million as fixed fee part plus almost €2 million in bonuses. The player will get a four-year contract until 30 June 2027 with the option for another season.
Thus, it looks like the deal is at an advanced stage and Vipotnik will be joining Bordeaux soon. That does come as a bit of a surprise to be honest, as the French club are currently playing in Ligue 2, despite their great history.
Celtic seem to have come up short in the race for Vipotnik. Now, it remains to be seen if they end up going after another striker or not. Rodgers has shown a good eye for a centre forward in the past. Both Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard arrived during his first stint at Parkhead.