Celtic find themselves in a difficult position right now, especially going forward. The club never really replaced either Kyogo, who left in January, and Adam Idah, whose departure was sanctioned on summer deadline day without a replacement being brought in first. Kelechi Iheanacho was signed as a free agent after the close of the window. And admittedly, he has exceeded some expectations. But is he enough to solve the Hoops' problems up top?
The answer to that is probably no. But it is not just about not replacing Kyogo or Idah. It is also the drop in form that Daizen Maeda has endured, having scored 33 goals in the previous campaign.
Maeda wanted to leave in the summer transfer window. There are even some claims that he had agreed a move to the Bundesliga at one point, although Celtic did not want to see him depart, which is why an exit did not end up materialising.
As reported by Sports Boom, Everton are planning to make a bid for Maeda in January. He is wanted by the Premier League club after expressing desire to leave.
Everton ready to make bid for Celtic player in January
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Maeda. But on current form, he is not contributing a lot to this Celtic side.
So, if the right offer comes in for Maeda then it might be the correct step to sanction an exit rather than holding on to a player who clearly wants to be elsewhere. Let's hope that a substantial bid does end up arriving.
And another thing that Celtic must do is make sure that that money is reinvested into the squad in bringing in someone who can take Maeda's place in the squad. Otherwise, it might not be worth letting him leave.