The outstanding center-forward has reportedly drawn interest from the Hoops.
The summer transfer window officially opened for business last week, and Celtic may be looking to bolster their forward line.
First off, Hyeon-gyu Oh, who was Parkhead’s third-choice number nine in the second part of the previous season, is apparently the target of a £4 million proposal from Belgian powerhouse Genk.
The South Korean international struggled for several minutes as Brendan Rodgers favored Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi over him in the starting lineup.
Football Insider have also suggested that the Hoops would be willing to cash in on Kyogo if a bid of approximately £25m arrives on the table this summer.
Idah returned to Paradise on loan from Norwich City earlier this year, and the Bhoys are reportedly keen on a permanent deal to bring him back to Paradise amid rumors that the club’s only two senior center-forward options could be leaving Glasgow.
The Scottish powerhouses have now been connected to a different striker, who might join the team to bolster Matt O’Riley’s offensive midfield and provide additional firepower.
Sport Witness has confirmed that O Jogo (18/06/24), a Portuguese publication, reports that the Hoops are among several teams interested in signing Panathinaikos center-forward Fotis Ioannidis this summer.
According to the report, the Bhoys are hoping to sign the Greek international so they can fight for the starting nine position at Parkhead the following season.
The Scottish Premiership winners are described as “serious” rivals to the other teams hoping to sign the talented marksman in the upcoming weeks.
O Jogo goes on to say that Girona, Lazio, Sevilla, Ipswich Town, Sporting, and Lille are also vying for Ioannidis’ signature, highlighting how difficult it will be for Rodgers to secure a contract for him.
According to the source, Sporting was prepared to pay Panathiniakos €20 million (£16.8 million) to transfer their great finisher to Portugal, while the latter is seeking to get a sum of up to €30 million (£25 million).
Celtic’s most recent club-record acquisition was Odsonne Edouard from PSG for £9 million in the summer of 2018, but a £25 million raid for the Greek powerhouse seems improbable.
But, the Super League team might be compelled to drop the £25 million valuation if no teams are willing to match it, which would financially put the Bhoys back in the picture.
O’Riley would love having him play with him in the 2024–2025 season if they can somehow figure out a method to get him to Parkhead.
