Even 24 hours ago, it seemed like we were about to see Kyogo back in a Celtic jersey. That situation has taken a twist though as Martin O'Neill has confirmed that the move is unlikely as the Japanese striker is still keen to prove himself at Birmingham City, where he has scored just one goal in 25 appearances, although he continues to get chances for now.
That does leave Celtic in a tough position. The club are in desperate need of a consistent goalscorer. Kyogo has proven that he can do that in the green-and-white jersey, having managed to score 85 times in 165 appearances for the Glasgow giants before his £10 million move to Rennes last January.
Celtic cannot afford to dwell on the Kyogo situation for long. If he does not want to return, that is fair enough. We wish him well at Birmingham City, and must move our sights toward alternative options. One of them seems to be close to home.
As reported by Pete O'Rourke, Celtic and Rangers, and a handful of English Championship sides are keen on Kieron Bowie in this January transfer window. The Hibernian striker is also a target for several Italian and Belgian clubs.
Celtic want Scottish international striker amid Kyogo transfer collapse
Bowie is a completely different kind of striker compared to Kyogo. The Hibernian ace is a physical presence up top, the type of centre-forward that the Hoops are missing at this moment.
He does not have an incredible goalscoring record, but it is decent enough. Bowie has scored 7 goals in 20 league appearances this season, alongside providing 3 assists.
At 23 years of age, one would imagine that there is plenty of room for improvement as well. He has two appearances to his name for the Scotland national team already. And his numbers in front of goal could increase vastly, if he does end up getting the move to Celtic, who would be expected to create a lot more chances than he gets at Hibernian.
Signing just Bowie this January might be a risk though. While the Scottish international is a decent enough option to have around, is he ready to come in and immediately be the leading number 9 for the Hoops as they look to turn their campaign around and make a title charge? Probably not.
A lot will also depend on the kind of transfer fee Hibernian want to part ways with Bowie. There have been suggestions that they would look for something in the region of £6 million.