HE’S PRICELESS
Celts simply must not sell Eddy for £20m, £30m or even £50m.. they’re going for 10 in a row and..
NEIL LENNON has held talks with four strikers these past couple of weeks.
Steven Fletcher, Ivan Toney, Albian Ajeti and Lyle Taylor are all on his radar. But who’s the best shout?
Record Sport has run the rule over the potential new arrivals...
IVAN TONEY
Barry Fry has been sending Celtic a string of warnings not to miss out on the in-demand forward. The Peterborough director of football is the master in transfer brinkmanship but Toney does appear the type of player the Hoops shouldn’t be waiting on.
The 24-year-old was brilliant for Posh last season – netting a league-high 24 goals in League One. But the former Newcastle man is about much more than just the raw numbers. His innate ability to be in the right position isn’t commonplace in the modern era.
The game appears to have slowed down for him and he has progressed markedly over the past two seasons.
ALBIAN AJETI
The 23-year-old appeared hesitant about a loan switch from West Ham but his record with Basel hints he could be a player worth waiting for.
No transfer is foolproof but there’s a good chance Ajeti would represent a shrewd bit of business by Lennon and head of recruitment Nick Hammond. A forward who specialises in finding a half yard against teams who are happy to sit deep.
The stats back that up. He netted 37 goals in his final two seasons at St Jakob Park, averaging 2.6 shots per match during that period.
STEVEN FLETCHER
The Scotland international will go down as one of the most polarising players of his generation. Adored by his managers but he still retains scepticism from supporters. Fletcher’s consistency has to be admired, however, with 11 seasons where he has netted 10 goals or more during his career. He is one player you genuinely know what you’re going to get. Lennon has always been a fan and the 33-year-old would certainly suit the Hoops’ attacking style. His 2.2 shots per game stands out and that should translate well to life at Parkhead if he arrives.
LYLE TAYLOR
The 30-year-old hasn’t been in great form. Let’s compare Taylor’s 18/19 season with Toney last season. Toney outperformed Taylor in three key areas, goals per game (0.68 to 0.52), shots per game (3.7 to 3.0) and shots on target per match (1.92 to 1.36). Taylor is decent but his CV and stats don’t show a player ready to shine.