Prolific striker lifts lid on Celtic rumours as Hoops join Egyptian Champions in January transfer race
Celtic are in for a 20-goals a season striker but will have stiff competition from Al-Ahly.
As a lack of attacking cutting edge continues to haunt Celtic, Wilfried Nancy has his eye on more attacking reinforcements in January.
The Hoops boss may have got his first win - a 3-1 victory over 10-man Aberdeen - but just like in their match against Dundee United, they missed countless chances. If the likes of Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny had their shooting boots on, The Dons could’ve been on the end of a cricket score.
As Celtic trail Hearts in the league this season, the goals have very much dried up. While Nancy looks to strengthen in January, he has his eye on a prolific striker from the Swedish top-flight, however there will be competition from clubs around the world.
Diabate puts to bed Al-Ahly rumours
Ivorian striker Ibrahim Diabate has been in fine form for Gothenburg-based side GAIS and bagged 18 goals in the Allsvenskan last season, in his first year at the club. The 26-year old finished the league’s joint top scorer alongside Djurgardens' August Priske.
His exploits have meant he’s attracted attention not only from Celtic, but also Egyptian Champions Al-Ahly and Spanish side Real Oviedo, however he has recently played down rumours of the former, giving Celtic a bigger chance of acquiring his services.
Regarding his potential Al-Ahly move, according to the Daily Record, the Ivory Coast striker said: "these are just rumours. Nothing is clear about any transfer and there have been no discussions. Very little of what has been said about me signing for Al-Ahly is true."
Guaranteed goals
If Celtic were successful in their hunt for Diabate, they would be finding someone who knows where the back of the net is. Before his GAIS move, he was a relative unknown and scored just one goal all season for fellow Swedish side, Vasteras, but their gamble has paid off thus far on the striker, who is valued at around £3 million.
Celtic got rid of Adam Idah to Swansea in the summer and are yet to fully replace Kyogo Furuhashi too, after he moved to Rennes in January 2024 for a fee of around £10m. With very few quality striking options now, Nancy appears to already be looking elsewhere to bolster his attack.
Johnny Kenny and Shin Yamada have both been given a chance in recent weeks, but neither were able to get on the scoresheet. After they both missed chances against Dundee United last week, former striker Chris Sutton said that neither are ‘good enough’ to play for Celtic. The Hoops are also currently without English forward Callum Osmand, who looked a promising addition before his hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Kelechi Iheanacho is also dealing with a recurring injury.