Celtic could keep Kvankala and Adam on the bench by releasing their £14m star player in a different role

It wasn’t a fairly sport, however Celtic obtained the job achieved towards Aberdeen on Wednesday and moved into second place within the Premiership, simply 5 factors off the leaders.

There’s nonetheless that nagging feeling that if the Hoops had prevented the Wilfried Nancy catastrophe that noticed them go 2-4 in six league video games, they may have taken the lead on the high of the desk.

Sadly, Martin O’Neill needed to make up for misplaced time and did so with an underwhelmingly bloated squad, and the journey to Pittodrie was yet one more disappointing day for the 74-year-old’s attacking choices.

No striker acknowledged by the membership has scored because the Scottish Cup sport towards Dundee, and doubts persist relating to each Tomas Kvankala and Junior Adam.

Maybe the 2 merely wanted time to regulate, however even former Lone Star Adam Ider caught fireplace a lot sooner.

The way to evaluate Adam and Kvankara with Ida’s mortgage spell

On Sunday afternoon, O’Neill hooked the aforementioned Adam on the break, however Kvankala did not even come off the bench in that derby draw, with Daizen Maeda approaching as a makeshift striker.

This time, the Czech striker was nominated for the deal, with Adam watching from the sidelines, with the Hoops counting on Maeda once more within the center within the closing levels.

Kvankala, making his ninth look since becoming a member of on mortgage from Borussia Mönchengladbach, has solely scored as soon as earlier than, his lone objective coming in a 2-0 win over Falkirk final month.

As for Adam, there have been some shiny moments, together with an help towards Stuttgart, however the Austrian hasn’t hit his stride and hasn’t scored once more since his last-gasp heroics on his cup debut.

The 24-year-old’s tally is only one in each 5 Celtic video games, and none of them come near the impression that Ider, on mortgage from Norwich Metropolis, scored twice towards Hibernian in his second league look in 2024.

The Irishman scored 5 objectives in his first 5 league video games and completed the half-season with 9 objectives in 19 video games. that Gained at Hampden.

There’s nonetheless loads of soccer left for Kvankala or Adam to succeed in that mark, however early indicators aren’t too encouraging, so O’Neill could have to resolve on a everlasting alternative.

Celtic star valued at £14m could possibly be unleashed in new function

Following the lack of Togo Furuhashi and, to a lesser extent, Ida, it has been one thing of a disastrous season for Parkhead’s striker division, with Johnny Kenny, at the moment on mortgage at Bolton Wanderers, nonetheless retaining his place as the highest centre-forward, scoring six objectives in 2025-26.

Shin Yamada was additionally launched, Callum Osmando remained on the sidelines, whereas Kelechi Iheanacho was unreliable, so Adam and Tsvankara had been introduced in in January.

That O’Neal returned to Maeda so rapidly says lots about how he feels about these new faces, regardless that the Japanese speedster hasn’t all the time been in high kind, with Wednesday evening’s wayward blowout within the second half marking a person who has scored only one objective since O’Neal returned to the dugout.

With that in thoughts, it is perhaps price making an attempt main scorer Benjamin Nygren as an unconventional possibility at middle as a substitute. The versatile Swede has additionally performed in that function on the fitting wing throughout his senior profession.

For the time being, the 19-goal star is a box-crushing possibility in a sophisticated midfield function, and he re-emerged towards the Dons with an important objective on the verge of breaking the offside lure.

There could also be a cause to alter what’s not damaged, and Nygren’s lack of mobility could possibly be a difficulty behind the protection, however at 6-foot-2 he has the scale to be a goal man or focus when wanted.

Certainly, steering the 24-year-old right into a extra superior function has allowed the vigorous Luke McCowan to fit in behind him as a inventive hyperlink between midfield and the frontline, with the Scot scoring towards Germany final week and coming near scoring from the bench throughout an impactful cameo towards Ibrox.

In line with Transfermarkt, Nygren has scored 17 factors in 41 video games as a middle ahead, so even when O’Neal had been to interchange him, he would not essentially be pushed into the deep finish.

The previous Norseland participant, who’s valued at €16m (£14m) in response to the CIES Soccer Observatory, has been a revelation this season, particularly since in 2026 he has largely carried the goalscoring duty alone.

Celtic’s present striker choice nonetheless does not fairly try this, so shifting him nearer to objective could possibly be a sensible transfer within the coming weeks and months.