‘Celtic to step up Jamie Vardy interest as two attacking replacements targeted’
Celtic could push forward in a bid to sign Jamie Vardy as they seek to bring in two attacking players this summer.
The Hoops have won 13 of the last 14 Scottish Premiership titles to draw level on 55 with arch-rivals Rangers — needing just one more to overtake their neighbours for the first time since the 1920s.
One of the key factors in Celtic’s latest title win was their superior attack.
Despite Rangers boasting the league’s top scorer in Cyriel Dessers, Celtic completely outperformed them as a team with 112 goals to 80.
Celtic targeting forwards this summer
Despite that attacking prowess, Celtic are in need of attacking options this summer after allowing Kyogo Furuhashi to leave in January, while Nicolas Kuhn completed a move to Como earlier in July.
Indeed, Football Insider transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke has revealed that Brendan Rodgers is looking for two players this summer to bolster his forward line.
A striker is thought to be top of the list of priorities, while another winger could come in to supplement Japan international Daizen Maeda.
Maeda is naturally a winger but played regularly through the middle last season — to good effect, notching 16 league goals to sit second only to Dessers (18).
Celtic urged to make Jamie Vardy move
News of Celtic targeting a striker comes after the club were urged to sign Jamie Vardy by ex-Scotland and Man City goalscorer Paul Dickov.
The former England international is a free agent after his Leicester contract ended, leaving the King Power Stadium after netting 200 goals in 500 appearances and lifting Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield and Championship titles.
Even at 38 years old, Vardy is in demand thanks to his keen eye for goal, which helped him net nine Premier League strikes and 10 overall last season, despite Leicester’s miserable relegation back to the second tier.
Rangers have been heavily linked with Vardy — who previously worked with Rodgers at Leicester — but Dickov believes Celtic should swoop in ahead of their rivals.
“Jamie Vardy at 38, has still got a hell of a lot to offer. He’s still got the hunger, and real desire in his game,” said Dickov (22 July).
“I’m sure he has plenty of offers from clubs all over the world, but wherever he chooses will gain a Premier League legend and a wealth of experience.
“Aside from his experience, his goal-scoring hasn’t slowed down. He scored nine goals last season in a poor Leicester team in the most challenging league in the world, so he will score plenty wherever he moves.
“It’s difficult to pinpoint where Jamie is going to land, but it could be a real swing in the next couple of seasons of the Scottish Premiership.
“If he went to Celtic, it would make it even more difficult for the rest of the teams to catch them. I would go as far as to say borderline impossible.
“However, if he chose Rangers, he could really drag them closer to Celtic with the goals he would score.
“If he signs for Rangers, Scotland would have a really competitive league next season, which would be great to watch and draw eyes to the games.
“That’s how big a factor he could be, and people keep talking about his age, but he is chasing down defenders as well as he was ten years ago, from what I can see.
“Whoever signs Vardy will have a fantastic asset who will guarantee goals and energy from the front.”