18 months into Ange Postecoglou's tenure at Celtic, it's clear that his approach to transfers is very much like his footballing philosophy. Quick, decisive, and undeniably effective.
We're still two days away from the January window opening and already the signings of Alistair Johnston and Yuki Kobayashi feel like ancient history. There is also the prospect of a new defensive midfielder in the works after a wink from the manager towards another Japanese star in Tomoki Iwata.
And it's unlikely they'll stop there, with a new striker also near the top of the priorities in the January sales. Record Sport understands Giorgos Giakoumakis looks increasingly likely to leave next month after a breakdown in contract talks, but any new face up top doesn't necessarily hinge on him leaving. As shown with the signing of Johnston from Montreal, the Hoops aren't shy about being proactive rather than reactive, and the lack of options beyond Kyogo and Giakoumakis mean a new frontman wouldn't go amiss anyway even if the Greek does end up staying next month.
With that in mind, we've compiled a list of every striker tipped to join the Postecoglou revolution and add some firepower for the second half of the season and beyond.
Cho Gue-sung
Starting with the name on everyone's lips, it's been a big year for Cho Gue-sung. He became the first South Korean ever to score two goals in a single World Cup game, posed for a Vogue front cover, appeared on reality TV in his homeland, and shot himself up to more than THREE MILLION Instagram followers in the process.
He's been gaining attention as much for his good looks as for his goalscoring prowess with his status currently up there with some of the biggest stars in Korean media. And his superstardom could soon be coming to Parkhead with frequent reports in his homeland claiming the Hoops are interested.
A £2.2m fee has been mooted, roughly the same as what the paid for Giakoumakis 18 months ago. And his brawling style certainly puts him forward as a potential alternative to the big Greek.
Ryan Mmaee
The name we were all Googling how to pronounce back in the summer, Celtic were believed to be interested in him then but he has since admitted the timing wasn't right for him to leave Ferencvaros. He ended up missing out on Morocco's World Cup squad despite his form in Hungary, which could be just as well for any of his transfer suitors as their run to the semi-finals might well have added a zero or two onto his transfer valuation.
The Belgian-born attacker was tipped as an ideal option for Celtic as while primarily a striker, he can fill in on either flank and looks more in the Daizen Maeda mould rather than another Giakoumakis or Kyogo. He knows where the back of the net is, though, averaging a goal every other game for both Ferencvaros and former club Limassol, and at 25, he's approaching the age where his next step will need to come sooner rather than later.
Club president Gabor Kubatov isn't expecting to lose either Mmaee next month, with older brother Samy also a key player. But he's admitted their budget is the "smallest" in the Europa League, so it stands to reason any significant bid would be listened to.
Said Hamulic
One that emerged from the blue in Italy, Stal Mielic hitman Said Hamulic is reportedly another striker on Celtic's radar and they were recently credited as the "most active club" in pursuit of the Dutchman. The Stal Mielic frontman has nine goals in 17 games this season and Tutto Mercato say the race is heating up for his services.
He played his senior football in Bulgaria and Lithuania prior to last summer so there will be some understandable concerns over his pedigree. But since moving to Poland, he's established himself as a regular goalscorer in a decent standard league and a January move for the 22-year-old could give him six months to adapt to life at Celtic before being thrown in - they would hope - to the Champions League cauldron next season.
Casper Tengstedt
One of the more recent links, this one comes from Football Scotland who say Rosenborg striker Casper Tengstedt is on Postecoglou's shortlist of forward options. The 22-year-old was signed from Midtjylland in the summer despite never playing for their first-team, with his goalscoring spree on loan in the second tier with AC Horsens enough to earn him a move to Norway.
That has since proved to be an inspired bit of business though and 15 goals in 14 appearances later, he already seems destined for bigger and better things. His club are desperate to keep him and have offered him new terms beyond his existing deal which expires in 2026, but it's understood he wants more than is on the table.
A price tag of £3.5m has been mooted although it's expected Rosenborg will hold out for all they can get, feeling under no pressure to sell him given he has four years to run. Players of his quality rarely hang around in Scandinavia for long though and Celtic would do well to get in now before Europe's superpowers start sniffing around.
Ladislav Almasi
Named in the Czech Republic as Celtic's Plan B if their pursuit of Gue-sung doesn't come off, Almasi has been linked ever since reports in Europe named him as a target in the build-up to the Hoops' friendly with Banik Ostrava, for whom he is banging in the goals like nobody's business.
The 23-year-old, capped twice by Slovakia, is another who looks like a like-for-like replacement for Giakoumakis. His five goals in seven Fortuna Liga appearances this season have taken him to 21 in 43 in total for Banik and it seems like he'll be on the move sooner rather than later. The target man, who stands at 6ft4', is valued at around £2m which puts him comfortably within the Hoops' price range, and it would be a logical next step for him as he looks to establish himself as one of the top young strikers around.
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