Celtic need to strengthen a few positions before the summer transfer window. Of course, whether those needs will be met or not remains to be seen. One of the areas where the Hoops do seem a bit light on options is up top. Adam Idah has struggled to lead the line for the Scottish champions and simply does not look ready to be the first-choice number 9 despite having spent 18 months at Parkhead already.
On the other hand, neither Shin Yamada nor Johnny Kenny appears to be ready to make a significant impact on this team. Over their first three games, not one of their strikers has managed to find the back of the net. That is a worrying sign going into the Champions League play-off qualifier against Kairat Almaty.
Of course, we have seen plenty of strikers be linked with Celtic in recent times. One of them is Giuseppe Ambrosino of Napoli. But it looks like he might be set to stay in Italy.
Romelu Lukaku has handed the Italian champions an injury scare heading into the new season. And as reported by Il Matino (via Area Napoli):
"For now, Giuseppe Ambrosino, a talented player originally from Procida who played for Italy at the European Under-21 Championship, remains in the squad. The striker's future has not yet been decided, and in the meantime, he remains at Conte's disposal."
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Ambrosino has been a standout for Italy at the youth international levels. And while we have not seen his best in Napoli colours, or on his several stints out on loan at clubs in Serie B, that does not mean that he is not capable of delivering the goods up top in the right setup.
In Italy, Ambrosino is considered a complete forward, who is capable of being the focal point up top as well as the second striker, depending on the situation. His playing style has drawn comparisons to Dries Mertens.
Of course, someone like him could have been an interesting addition to this Celtic team. But it appears that Napoli have other plans. Their opening game of the Serie A season is on August 23 against Sassuolo. Let's see if Lukaku returns to fitness in time for that fixture. If he does not, and is out for any significant length of time, it would further reduce Ambrosino's chances of leaving.