Celtic need to sign a new number nine before the January transfer window slams shut because they have not had a consistent number nine this season.
Johnny Kenny, due to Kelechi Iheanacho’s injury issues, has been the main number nine for the Hoops, and his performance in front of goal has been well below par.
The Ireland international, as shown in the table above, has significantly underperformed his xG in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, which means that he has been unreliable in front of goal.
Celtic are reportedly taking steps to bring a new centre-forward for Martin O’Neill before the end of the window, with a loan offer placed for Lorient marksman Mohamed Bamba, who has scored one league goal this season.
Celtic pushing hard to sign Premier League striker
The Ivorian star is not the only striker on their radar, though, as the Scottish giants are also reportedly keen on a player from the Premier League in England.
According to Claret & Hugh, Celtic have joined the race to sign West Ham United centre-forward Callum Wilson in the January transfer window to bolster O’Neill’s squad.
The report claims that the Hoops are pushing hard to win the race for the former England international, who is also wanted by English Championship side Leicester City.
It adds that the Foxes are currently believed to be the favourites to land the experienced number nine, should he become available in the coming weeks.
Claret & Hugh also reveal that the Hammers are waiting to see how new signings Taty Castellanos, who scored against QPR on Sunday in the FA Cup, and Pablo settle in before making a decision on Wilson’s short-term future.
Why Celtic should sign Callum Wilson
Instead of signing Bamba on loan, Celtic would be better off bringing in Wilson either on loan or on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
Bamba has scored one goal in Ligue 1 this season and managed three goals in Ligue 2 in the last term, per Sofascore, whilst he scored 14 goals in the Austrian Bundesliga and Ligue 1 combined in the 2023/24 campaign.
Wilson, meanwhile, has scored four goals from 3.87 xG in eight starts in the Premier League for the Hammers this season, per Sofascore, which means that he has scored as many goals in the English top-flight this term as Bamba has scored in the top two tiers in France in the last 18 months.
It was at Newcastle, though, where the English marksman was at his very best in the Premier League, as he plundered an incredible 18 league goals in the 2022/23 season.
Bamba, however, has never scored more than 14 goals in all competitions in a season in his career to date, suggesting that there is a clear difference in experience and quality between the two forwards at the moment.
Reporter Chris Waugh once described Wilson as “clinical” and the 33-year-old star’s career statistics back up that claim, as he has consistently finished chances at an efficient rate.
Since FBref started collecting xG data in the 2017/18 campaign, the West Ham forward has scored 81 Premier League goals from 79.7 xG, an overperformance of 1.3.
As you can see in the table above, the English ace has not lost his clinical edge in the Premier League at the age of 33, as he still ranks above average as a finisher in the division.
These statistics and his overall career statistics suggest that he would be a better signing than Bamba, who has not proven as much in his career and has only scored one league goal this season.
Bamba’s one league goal has also come from an xG of 2.3, per FBref, which suggests that he would not be as clinical for Celtic as Wilson would be, based on their respective form this season.
Given the aforementioned struggles that the Hoops have had with Kenny’s finishing this season, it feels important that the club snap up a clinical striker who can make the most of the high-quality chances that the team can create for the main number nine.
That is why Wilson, given his impressive goalscoring record and experience in the Premier League, could be the perfect short-term addition to bolster the squad, even more so than Bamba.