Celtic's blockbuster next January transfer could be striker gem who Crystal Palace failed to sign
Celtic are accelerating their efforts to land a talented forward that was once compared to Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins
Scottish heavyweights Celtic are believed to be plotting a move for FC Lorient forward Mohamed Bamba as they attempt to rejuvenate their squad after what has so far been a turbulent campaign at Parkhead.
Celtic are in third in the Scottish Premiership and trailing Rangers by three points and leaders Hearts by seven points. It’s a scenario even the most pessimistic of supporters couldn’t have envisioned. At the start of last season, Celtic were the team to beat - going unbeaten in all of the first 22 domestic matches, establishing a 14-point gap at the top of the table while also being crowned winners of the League Cup.
The Hoops even held their own in the Champions League last season and were just seconds away from taking Bayern Munich to extra time in their round-of-16 play-off. They might have failed to win any of their last three Old Firm matches towards the end of the campaign, but still looked a class above anyone else in a league admittedly not famed for its competitive nature - finishing 17 points clear at the top of the table and looking destined for another historic treble.
However, since the Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen, all has not been right behind the scenes. Brendan Rodgers resigned after a slow start to the season, leading to the shock reappointment of Martin O’Neill more than 20 years after his first spell at Celtic on an interim basis.Results picked up quickly under the Northern Irishmen during his eight-game stint before a disastrous 33-day stint under Wilfried Nancy, who was only hired in December, allowed Hearts and Rangers to leapfrog the Hoops in the table, with the club also losing a League Cup final in this short space of time.
O’Neill has answered Celtic’s SOS call for the second time this season - this time to replace Nancy, and now has the reins until May. He’s overseeing his first transfer window in Glasgow since 2005 and needs to get it right if the Hoops are to win the title for the fifth year in a row.
Celtic target Mohamed Bamba
O’Neill marked his latest return to the Celtic dugout with a comprehensive 4-0 hammering of Dundee United at Parkhead - but refused to get “carried away” by the score line.
He told Glasgow World: “Yeah. I am hopeful that we are going to get some people in.”
One area that’s thought to be high on Celtic’s wish list is a striker after the club’s failure to adequately replace both Kyogo Furuhashi last January and Adam Idah over the summer. The Hoops also lost winger Nicolas Kuhn, who has been a standout performer last term.
Ouest-France report that Celtic have submitted an offer for Bamba. It’s thought to be an initial loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign if he fits the bill. According to the report, Celtic hold the forward in high regard after keeping tabs on him for a period which stretches all the way back to last season.
Why Celtic are interested in Bamba
Bamba has only managed three goals and two assists for Lorient across all competitions this season, with two of those goals coming in the cup. However, that’s not put Celtic off making a move for the forward due to the Ivory Coast born striker’s impressive form in previous years.
Bamba played 18 times last season, scoring three goals and registering seven assists in Ligue 2 as the team won promotion - he brought a lot to the team when fit and available which helped their title charge. The year before that in 2023/24 was arguably his best so far. He scored 17 goals in 34 matches while also making seven assists across his time with Wolfsberger in the first half of the year in Germany, and Lorient after a mid-season move.
He scored five times in his first four matches for Lorient and was a consistent goal threat despite playing for a time that ultimately would suffer relegation.
These statistics appeal to Celtic and show just how much talent the striker has if they can unlock his potential again. Premier League side Crystal Palace even made inroads to trying to sign the striker at the time amid comparisons with Aston Villa and England star Ollie Watkins, but were unsuccessful.