Celtic's hopes of signing Adam Idah from Norwich City suffer blow

Celtic fans are hoping that the Scottish Cup-winning goal against the Rangers at Hampden Park does not turn out to be Adam Idah's final contribution for the Hoops. The Republic of Ireland international arrived in the winter on loan from Norwich City amid a lot of doubts and proved the critics wrong, playing a key part in the club's double last season.

The problem is, Celtic did not have a buyout clause included in the loan deal. And that means that Norwich City hold all the cards right now, with regards to a transfer.

Norwich City have a new manager in the form of Johannes Hoff Thorup. And he seems to rate Idah very highly.

Idah started Norwich City's second pre-season game on the trot, this time against Standard Liege. The Irishman made a vital contribution as well, providing the assist for the Canaries' goal, as the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The striker was given the first 45 minutes before being taken off at half-time, as he continues to build up his fitness.

Celtic's hopes of signing Adam Idah from Norwich City suffer blow

If Thorup's comments are anything to go by then he appears to be counting on Idah for the future. As reported by Football Scotland, the Norwich City manager said:

"Like we said from day one, he's a vital part of the group and of the squad here. Luckily, or maybe unfortunately, we have players where there's also interest from other clubs. But we should always strive to have that, that's important for us.

"But Adam’s working hard in training, a good guy with good energy. He's really doing well. And I hope it's obvious for him and everyone that he will play a vital part for this team."

Another problem for Celtic is that they are working against time. Oh Hyeon-gyu recently left the club for Genk, meaning that the Hoops have only one recognised striker in the squad in Kyogo.

That is not the ideal situation to be in for Celtic, heading into the new seasons. Thus, they will need to sign a new striker very soon. And it remains to be seen how long they are willing to wait for Idah, with his Norwich City future still uncertain, as the new manager makes his assessment in pre-season.