Rodgers could sign dream Idah partner in Celtic move for “incredible” 30-goal marksman

Rodgers could sign dream Idah partner in Celtic move for “incredible” 30-goal marksman

Celtic’s lead in the Scottish Premiership table is secure for the time being, as their opponents were defeated on Sunday,

leaving them four points ahead.

The Hoops defeated St Mirren 3-0 on Saturday, moving four points ahead of Rangers at the top,

while the Gers lost 3-2 at Ross County on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers’ team might close the gap to one point if their opponents win their game in hand against Dundee on Wednesday night, but the title remains in their hands as it is.

The Scottish giants are striving to avoid a trophyless finish to the 2023/24 season,

and they still have the Premiership crown and the SFA Cup to play for in the coming weeks.

The focus will next shift to the summer transfer window and how Celtic may strengthen their playing team by entering the market to expand their alternatives.

Celtic’s interest in productive forwards

According to Football Insider, the Hoops are among several clubs interested in signing Blackburn Rovers star Sammie Szmodics this summer.

According to the first rumor, Celtic and Brentford are competing to sign him ahead of the 2024/25 season, following his successful season in the English Championship.

It further stated that other unknown sides in the Premier League’s bottom half could compete to sign the Republic of Ireland international.

Football Insider followed up with an update shortly after, claiming that the Bhoys might be blown out of the water if Premier League clubs decide to act on their interest with concrete offers, given their financial edge over the Scottish side.

There was no hint of how much Blackburn would want for the attacker, and it remains to be seen whether Celtic can jump in before others have a chance to make their offer.

If Rodgers can complete a deal for Szmodics, he could find the ideal partner for current Hoops star Adam Idah, who is presently on loan from Norwich City.

According to Football Scotland, the Canaries are set to seek a fee of around £6 million for the Irish marksman, which is within the club’s summer transfer budget.

With this in mind, the board must go all out to get Szmodics and Idah to bolster Rodgers’ assault for next season, as the prolific combination may form an excellent partnership at the top of the pitch.

Adam Idah’s form at Celtic

The Hoops signed the 6-foot-3 striker on loan from Norwich on deadline day in February, and he has been an excellent addition to the squad.

Idah had six goals in 28 Championship games, including 12 starts, for the Yellows during the first half of the season before moving to Glasgow, and he has now surpassed that total at Parkhead.

Since the beginning of February, the 23-year-old dynamo has scored seven goals and provided two assists in only ten Premiership outings for Celtic.

23/24 Premiership	Kyogo Furuhashi	Adam Idah
Appearances	33	10
Goals	11	7
Minutes per goal	200	65
Conversion rate	13%	30%
Big chances missed	21	6
Stats via Sofascore

As shown in the table above, Idah has been significantly more productive in front of goal than Kyogo Furuhashi in the Premiership, scoring once every 65 minutes of activity versus once every 200 minutes for the Japan international.

No Celtic player has surpassed their xG more than the Irish striker, who has seven goals on 5.24 xG.

Meanwhile, no Hoops player has underperformed their xG more than Kyogo,

who has 11 goals from 15.4 xG in the Premier League this season.

These strong statistics suggest that Rodgers should be pressing for the club to sign Idah to lead the line as the starting number nine for the team next season, as he has been a prolific acquisition.

He would also be an ideal counterpoint for a signing like Szmodics, who plays as an attacking midfielder and stands 5 feet 6,

since he has won 69% of his aerial duels in the Premier League and can give a muscular presence up front,

allowing the smaller genius to concentrate on his work in possession.

Sammie Szmodics’ goal-scoring record this season

This season, the Ireland international has scored 30 goals and provided four assists in 45 games in all competitions for Blackburn.

Former Rovers manager Jon Dahl Tomasson described Szmodics as “incredible” at the start of the year,

and his sensational numbers this season back up that claim.

23/24 Championship	Sammie Szmodics
Appearances	41
Sofascore rating	7.28
xG	19.21
Goals	24
Minutes per goal	152
Stats via Sofascore

As shown in the table above, the 28-year-old star has been a consistent presence in

the number ten position for Blackburn in the Championship,

scoring more than once every other game.

24 goals from an xG of 19.21 means he has surpassed his projected tally by nearly five goals,

demonstrating how clinical the Irish striker has been in front of the net.

Szmodics, who has mostly played as an attacking midfielder but can also play as a centre striker,

might complement Idah at the top of Celtic’s lineup.

His compatriot, who stands 6 feet 3 and has an impressive aerial duel success rate, could occupy opposition defenders,

allowing the current Blackburn star to make runs and pick up clever positions in the box to find

the back of the net in an attacking midfield or second striker role.

Both players have been lethal scorers for their respective clubs this season, surpassing their xG,

and they might create a great duo for Celtic next season, improving Rodgers’ attack as they contend domestically and in Europe.

It is now up to the board to guarantee that they can conclude agreements for both attackers during

the forthcoming summer transfer window to offer the manager with a clinical forward line for the 2024/25 campaign.

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