Celtic do not have a consistent goalscorer right now. Kelechi Iheanacho is injury-prone, and even when fit, he has scored just once from open play for the Hoops since his summer arrival as a free agent. Callum Osmand showed promise but got injured. Johnny Kenny does not seem to have the efficiency to be a starter for the club. And Shin Yamada has not gotten a proper chance under three different managers now, which is not a good sign for his future at Parkhead.
It is hard to imagine but a few years ago, Celtic had two strikers at the peak of their powers and were struggling to give enough playing time to each of them. Ultimately, it led to the departure of Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The Greek striker might have only spent around 18 months at Celtic, but he made his presence felt. When Kyogo got injured in the middle of the 21/22 campaign, it could have easily ended up derailing the Hoops' title challenge. Instead, Giakoumakis slotted in as the starter seamlessly and ended the season as the Premiership's top goalscorer.
The club have never been able to replace him. On the other hand, Giakouamakis has been on an adventure himself. Since leaving Celtic in 2023, he has been at Atalanta United and Cruz Azul, and is currently out on loan at PAOK. He could soon be on the move again, with Brazil looking like a potential destination.
Brazilian club make $6.5m transfer bid for Celtic hero
Despite being 31 years of age, there is no lack of interest in Giakoumakis. As reported by UOL (via 67 Hail Hail), Atletico Mineiro have made a proposal of $6.5 million.
Giakoumakis has been suggested as a possible option for Celtic by many, as the Greek striker is available while the Hoops remain in need of a proven goalscorer. Unfortunately, it is hard to imagine that the Hoops would be open to the idea of spending the kind of money to sign a 31-year-old.
They could certainly do with a player in that mold though. The club will definitely need to sign a striker next month and expect the transfer rumours to start picking up pace over the next few days as we inch closer towards the January transfer window.
As for Giakoumakis, we can only wish him the best of luck, no matter where his future lies. He was instrumental to Celtic's title win, and since his departure, we have found how difficult it is to find a backup striker as good as him.