West Ham United hand £17m transfer blow to Celtic

Celtic should be happy with how their strikers have been playing in recent weeks. It has not been the best campaign for Kyogo, based on the standards he set for himself in the previous two seasons, but the Japanese forward has found his form lately. On the other hand, Adam Idah has been a revelation since his loan move from Norwich City in the winter.

Celtic could still be in need of a striker come the summer. On one hand, there is no certainty around the long-term future of Idah. The Hoops do not have an option to sign him permanently for a pre-agreed fee included in his loan deal.

On the other hand, Oh Hyeon-gyu's future at Celtic Park has to be in serious doubt now. The South Korean striker has barely featured for the club since Idah's arrival in the winter, as he has clearly slipped down Brendan Rodgers' pecking order.

Celtic have been linked with a few strikers in recent weeks. One of them is Fotis Ioannidis of Panathinaikos. But they have been handed a blow in the race to sign the Greek international.

West Ham United hand £17m transfer blow to Celtic

As reported by Football Insider, Celtic are unlikely to be able to compete with the likes of West Ham United for Ioannidis. The Hoops cannot compete with Premier League clubs like the Hammers – who are looking to do a deal for around £17 million.

Ioannidis has been a man in form this season. According to stats from Transfermarkt, the Greek striker has scored 21 goals and provided 8 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions this campaign.

It is no wonder that Ioannidis has caught the eye of clubs like West Ham United. Unfortunately, Celtic are not going to be shelling out that kind of a figure to sign him despite their long-standing interest in the striker.