By Danny Wright

12th Mar, 2018 | 2:08pm

Celtic must sign lethal top-flight forward reportedly wanted in PL, would be Rodgers masterclass

COMMENT

There’s every chance that Celtic will be unable to re-sign Patrick Roberts in the summer transfer window when his loan deal at Parkhead comes to an end so it is only natural for Brendan Rodgers to start finding his replacement.

One option that the Hoops manager simply must consider is Saint-Etienne forward Jonathan Bamba, who is out of contract in the summer and could be available for a very minimal fee.

Bamba, 21, has been in stunning form in the French top-flight and would easily walk straight in the Celtic first-team with Roberts out of the equation.

The France Under-21 international is also able to play up front in a central position, so could be handy back-up option in attack if Odsonne Edouard doesn’t sign for another year and Moussa Dembele is sold off.

The Sun has reported that Premier League club West Ham are interested in Bamba and are keen to tie him up on a pre-contract agreement.

However Rodgers must not let that happen and should approach the lethal forward as soon as possible to ensure that Celtic’s summer transfer window gets off to a brilliant start.

Bamba has made 28 appearances in all competitions this season in France, scoring seven goals and supplying seven assists which is a brilliant example of what sort of potential this 21-year-old forward has to offer.

Rodgers’ signings have been hit and miss since he moved to Glasgow, but getting a deal to sign Bamba ahead of Premier League teams would be an absolute masterclass in how to rule the transfer market.

In other Celtic news, John Hartson has blasted Rangers fans who attacked this Hoops star after Sunday’s derby.

Don’t miss out on breaking and exclusive Celtic news by clicking here for our brilliant 24/7 updates on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.