After what everyone thought was a successful transfer window, it turned out to be a recipe for disaster. Signings of high profile like Shane Duffy (captain of ROI and Premier League centre half) and Diego Laxalt (World Cup Quarter-Finalist and AC Milan full back) never worked out. £10 million was spent on Ajeti and Barkas who we can all agree, have not shown there worth. This list will consist of players who you may or may not know and that can go under the radar from leagues across Europe.
5. Giorgos Giakoumakis
The Greek striker is currently impressing in the Eredivisie in The Netherlands with a total of 23 goals in 23 games. He has recorded only 1 assist in his time at VVV-Venlo but his phenomenal goal scoring record for a team who struggle in a league superior to ours is what makes look at him today. He falls into the category of the type of striker we should be looking at. With the signing of Vasilis Barkas from Greece, we should have looked at this guy when over there. VVV got him for a steal of only €350,000 from AEK Athens. This season he has played 1,992 minutes for the Dutch side putting himself on the map of interest from other clubs. On his current record he bags himself a goal every 87 minutes and after our current season, we could have done with a player like him. Strong in the air and a great finisher, the Greek hitman is currently valued at €800,000.
Age: 26
4. Gautier Larsonneur
The 23 year old Stade Brest stopper has been one of many stand out goalkeepers across Europe this season. The Frenchman has the highest save percentage with 75.36%, which is very impressive considering he faces on average 5 shots per 90 minutes, which is above the average throughout leagues across the continent. Currently playing for a struggling team in a top 5 league he does concede a lot of goals due to a poor defensive display from his Brest side. This season he has picked the ball out of his net 46 times in 28 games while keeping 4 clean sheets but with the price tag of €8 million, I think it would be a good buy for Celtic to end our present goalkeeper woes.
Age: 23
3. Domagoj Bradaric
Having made the move from Hadjuk Split to one of Celtics Europa League opponents in Lille. The Croatian fits the mould of the perfect modern full back having great ability in both half’s of the pitch. With 19 appearances this season for the French side he has scored 1 goal and got 1 assist but has only started 46% of matches. His current market value sits around £6 million he is very achievable for a club of our size. As Diego Laxalt wasn’t as impressive as we would’ve hoped along with the disaster in Boli Bolingoli, Bradaric would be a welcome addition to the squad alongside Greg Taylor.
Age: 21
2. Nikola Moro
From one Croatian to another as our next player we look at is Nikola Moro. Recently signed by Dinamo Moscow for a fee of around £7.7 million, the the Croatian anchorman has made 17 appearances for the Russian club bagging himself 3 goals from midfield. With our current situation of Brown having seen better days and Soro not having the impact that he had in December, going in the market for a defensive midfielder should be a priority for Celtic and he is someone who we be would be great fit for that role. Internationally he is currently captain of the Croatia U21 side that recently eliminated Scotland from chances of qualifying for the U21 Euros in the summer. Age: 23
1. Kasper Junker
Our final player on the list is Danish hitman Kasper Junker. The 6ft 1in striker has made 26 appearances for Bodø/Glimt scoring an unbelievable 28 goals with 8 assists. With his team winning the Eliteserien in a landslide victory, him and his teammates have been put on the radar with the likes of Jens Petter Hauge putting pen to paper at AC Milan and the final of the front 3, Philip Zinckernagel signing for Watford. Our current striker situation sits in uncertainty with Edouard likely to leave, Griffiths being unreliable and Klimala not hitting the heights of £3.5 million signing we should be looking for another forward man that can score consistently and bring the thunder back to Celtic Park.
Age: 27
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