Celtic did not sign a replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi when he left in January to join Ligue 1 side Rennes. Of course, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah combined for 53 goals last season, despite the former playing mostly as a winger while the latter was largely a backup option. So, do not expect the Hoops to splash out on a new centre-forward this summer.
That being said, signing one on a loan deal should not be ruled out. And it looks like Celtic have emerged as the favourites to sign a striker, who was tipped to be the Premier League's next £100 million player a couple of years back but has found things tough lately.
Bookmakers have made Celtic the favourites to sign Evan Ferguson. Everton are second and Newcastle United are third, with Bournemouth and Leeds United following them.
Ferguson managed to score just one season across last season. He spent the first half of the campaign at Brighton & Hove Albion before being sent on loan to West Ham United. But things clearly did not work for him and he needs a change of scenery.
Celtic now favourites to sign Premier League striker
Another failed loan spell in the Premier League might hurt Ferguson's confidence further. So, Brighton & Hove Albion should try and get a bit more creative.
Celtic might be the perfect place for him. He would get the chance to play in a team that scores plenty of goals, competes for trophies consistently and are in contention to qualify for the Champions League. That sounds exactly like a club where Ferguson might rediscover his confidence and bring his career back on track.
For Celtic, they will be getting a highly-rated striker who has shown that at his best, he can give Premier League defences trouble. Yes, things have not been going his way lately but that is something you can expect from a youngster. One cannot forget that he is still just 20 years of age and has plenty of time to bring his career back on track.