Celtic supporters demanded a busy January transfer window and so far, that has not been the case. Julián Araujo has arrived on loan from Bournemouth, a much-needed recruit at right-back. However, the Mexican is, to date, the only new addition.
Martin O'Neill has returned for his second interim stint of the season, overseeing a 4-0 victory over Dundee United at the weekend. The Hoops are currently third in the Premiership table, six points adrift leaders Hearts, thereby under enormous pressure to beat Falkirk on Wednesday night.
If the Hoops are going to claim a fifth successive title, they simply need reinforcements this month. Having sold both Kyōgo Furuhashi and Adam Idah in 2025, centre-forward is the obvious area of need. While the Scottish champions may be desperate for a new striker, there is one on the market that they should certainly avoid.
Celtic's search for a new striker
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are working on a permanent exit for striker David Datro Fofana. He adds that Royal Antwerp, Derby County and Celtic have "all expressed interest over potential deal". So, would Fofana be a good signing for the Scottish champions?
The Ivorian striker first burst onto the scene at Norwegian club Molde, scoring 24 times in 65 appearances for the Eliteserien side. This earned him a move to Chelsea for £8.4 million in January 2023. This came towards the start of Todd Boehly's ownership of the London-based Premier League club, when the Blues were very much hoarding young talents and the pinacle of their scattergun recruitment process.
Thus, the Ivorian international has made just four appearances for Chelsea, totalling a miserly 113 minutes. Fofana has therefore been sent out on various loans, but has hardly shone at any of his stops.
Season | Club(s) | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
23/24 | Union Berlin & Burnley | 32 | 6 |
24/25 | Göztepe | 9 | 2 |
25/26 | Fatih Karagümrük | 14 | 7 |
Fofana has scored just 15 goals across the last three seasons during his four loan spells. Seven of these goals have come this season for Fatih Karagümrük, albeit he has only netted twice in the Turkish Süper Lig since September.
Thus, his goalscoring record is an issue, but his injury record must be the biggest concern. Last season, Fofana made just nine appearances across all competitions due to a serious knee injury, having appeared only 14 times two campaigns earlier due to persistent injuries.
The striker Celtic did manage to sign last summer, namely Kelechi Ịheanachọ, has proved himself to be an effective goal-scorer when available. That, though, is the issue, given that the Nigerian hasn't featured in any Premiership match since 19 October due to a hamstring tear. Thus, signing Fofana would be a massive gamble, and it's not what the Hoops need right now.