Celtic return to action once again in the Scottish Premiership as they travel away from Parkhead to take on Hibernian on Sunday in the early kick-off.
The Hoops are currently top of the division after one match, having swept Kilmarnock aside with ease in a 4-0 win in Glasgow last weekend, and will now be looking to maintain that position this weekend.
Brendan Rodgers is aiming to win the top-flight for the second time in as many seasons during his second spell at the club, and could yet use the summer transfer window to ensure that his side have the best possible chance of doing so.
So far, Celtic have brought in goalkeepers Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel on permanent deals to bolster their options between the sticks, and central midfielder Paulo Bernardo has been signed on a permanent basis after his loan at Parkhead during the 2023/24 campaign.
However, there is still a few weeks left before the summer transfer window officially slams shut and this means that the Scottish giants could make further additions to their squad to improve the manager's options across the park.
Celtic eyeing up Premier League starlet
Speaking on Redmen TV on YouTube (07/08/2024), journalist Paul Gorst claimed that Celtic are one of the teams in the running to sign Liverpool central midfielder Bobby Clark.
The reporter stated that the Hoops and Glasgow rivals Rangers are both in the 'mix' to land the England U20 international on a season-long loan deal.
Gorst added that a number of teams in the English Championship, including Norwich City, Leeds United, and Derby County, are also interested in signing the talented young maestro.
He also revealed that Austrian side RB Salzburg have had an offer to sign him on a permanent basis turned down by the Premier League club.
This comes after The Athletic recently reported that Liverpool are more likely to send the 19-year-old talent out on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, than cash in on him.
That report did reveal, though, that the Merseyside outfit would be open to doing business for a fee of £12m, if they were to sell the former Newcastle United youngster this summer.
Clark is not the only player Celtic are attempting to sign, though, as the club are reportedly in talks with Norwich City over a deal to bring Adam Idah back to Parkhead.
The BBC recently claimed that the Hoops have submitted a new offer, having already had a bid of £4m turned down, and it has not been accepted by the Canaries, but the two teams remain in negotiations over a possible transfer.
Why Adam Idah could be a good signing
Idah arrived in Glasgow at the end of the winter window earlier this year and spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan with the Hoops.
He made an instant and huge impression on the club and the supporters with his fantastic performances on the pitch, as the Norwich academy graduate hit the ground running.
The Ireland international did not take long to catch the eye, with two goals against Motherwell in his first start, and went on to plunder eight league goals in 15 appearances.
Appearances
15
Starts
5
Goals
8
Big chances missed
7
Conversion rate
27%
Minutes per goal
76
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, Idah fired in eight goals in just five starts and showcased his clinical finishing by scoring more goals than he missed 'big chances'.
Whereas, Celtic's current first-choice – and only – striker, Kyogo Furuhashi, has had issues with his finishing since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Japan international scored 14 times in 38 Premiership matches for the Bhoys last season, and spurned a staggering 24 'big chances' in that time.
He then started the current campaign with two 'big chances' missed and zero goals in the 4-0 win over Kilmarnock last weekend, which means that the forward has missed 26 'big chances' and only scored 14 goals over the last 12 months or so in the league.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Idah to return and provide a better option upfront for Rodgers due to his clinical nature in front of goal.
Why Bobby Clark could be a dream for Adam Idah
With this in mind, Clark could be a dream signing to come in alongside the 6 foot 3 centre-forward to provide him with chances to find the back of the net from a central midfield position.
The 19-year-old is a box-to-box midfielder, rather than an out-and-out number ten, but has displayed his quality as a scorer and a creator of goals at youth and senior level.
In the 2023/24 campaign, ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp brought him through into the first-team and provided him with 12 chances to play with the likes of Mo Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, and ex-Celtic star Virgil van Dijk, among others, which speaks to how highly the German boss rated the teenager.
The £12m-rated starlet racked up four goals and six assists in 24 matches for the senior and academy teams combined last term, including one goal and one assist in two Europa League outings.
Appearances
27
37
14
Goals
13
5
1
Assists
5
6
2
As you can see in the table above, the Hoops target consistently provided a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a midfield position at U21 and U18 level for the Reds.
Clark, who was hailed as "exciting" by reporter Lee Ryder, is a dynamic and talented midfield maestro who could come in and provide Celtic with an attacking boost, whether that is as a starter or off the bench.
Idah, as shown by his eight goals in five starts but 15 league appearances, is proof that a player can come in and excel as an impact substitute.
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ByDan EmeryAug 7, 2024
Clark and Idah could both come through the door and come off the bench as an exciting pairing, whilst working hard to both nail down places in the starting XI.
