CELTIC hero Chris Sutton has dismissed the idea of Celtic pursuing Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland.
Chris Sutton
26th February 2023; Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland: Scottish Viaplay Cup Football Final, Rangers versus Celtic; Ex Celtic striker Chris Sutton
Despite recent speculation linking Shankland with a move to Celtic, Sutton’s comments in the Daily Record make it clear that he doesn’t see the transfer as a viable option for the club.
Shankland, who has made a name for himself with impressive performances for Dundee United and more recently for Hearts, has been in fine form this season, scoring against both of Glasgow’s big teams and clinching a draw for Scotland with a late equaliser against Georgia.
Despite this, Sutton believes Shankland doesn’t fit the profile that Celtic would be looking for in a new signing.
“Some people have chucked Lawrence Shankland’s name into the frame. Forget about it. There are enough people trying to hawk him to Rangers and it remains to be seen if they can even afford the Hearts striker.
“Celtic can afford him – but he just doesn’t fit the bill. That’s not to say I don’t rate him as a player. It’s got nothing to do with his apparent allegiances either.
“He would probably score goals for Celtic. But are they going to spend maybe £3m or £4m on a 28-year-old back up? Highly unlikely.”
The upcoming Asian Cup, running from January and potentially into February, is expected to impact Celtic’s squad, particularly in the forward line, with players from Japan and South Korea likely to be involved.
While this might indicate a need for Celtic to bolster their attacking options in the transfer window, Sutton’s assessment suggests that Shankland may not be the answer Celtic is looking for.
It will be interesting to see if Rodgers does bring a striker in or if he looks to his youth players to step up and fill the void for a few games.
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