After Celtic failed to secure the signing of a striker on deadline day, they only had free agents available to them. One of the players they were quickly linked with afterwards is Patrick Bamford. Multiple outlets suggested that the Hoops had made contact with the English international's camp as they scrambled to bring in a centre-forward, an area they were already short of options in even before letting Adam Idah leave on the final day of the summer window.
Ultimately, Celtic did bring in Kelechi Iheanacho. But the talk going into deadline day was that they wanted to sign two strikers.
So, is Bamford still on Celtic's radar even though they have already signed Iheanacho? The answer to that question seems to be 'no'.
While Bamford has been backed to join a new club soon, it looks like Celtic are no longer in the race to sign him as a free agent. As reported by Football Insider, Pete O'Rourke said:
"Celtic obviously showed a bit of interest but didn’t really push forward for a deal with Bamford as they looked for a striker so late on in the window.
“They obviously got a deal for Kelechi Iheanacho over the line instead.
“Bamford is a top player, maybe he wasn’t going to be in the picture for Leeds in the Premier League but he’s proven he can do it in the Championship.
“A lot of clubs who didn’t get the reinforcements they wanted in the summer will look at him.
“He’s one of the better free agents in the market right now.
“If any clubs still need a striker, Bamford will be high on their list and I expect his future will be resolved and he will find a new club soon."
Patrick Bamford set to agree next move soon after Celtic decision
Well, it looks like that is that for the Bamford to Celtic saga then. Thankfully, it did not drag on, like most of the club's transfer stories did over the course of the summer even though there rarely were any happy endings to those.
Bamford was a quality striker not too long ago, even proving his ability to score goals at the Premier League level. Since then, we have seen his form and fitness both dip quite considerably to be very honest.
Last season, he struggled with injuries. As a result of that, he did not make a single start and did not even score a goal either. So, it is safe to say that if Celtic did end up signing him, it would be a major risk to rely on someone in his form.
Of course, that does not mean that Celtic have signed a brilliant option in Iheanacho. He scored just once in 15 appearances while on loan at Boro.