2025 has been the 12 months of the returning hero at Celtic Park to date.
Kieran Tierney has returned to Celtic, six years after departing, following within the footsteps of Jota, who re-joined the Hoops through the January switch window.
So now, may Brendan Rodgers, who isn’t any stranger to a Glasgow return himself, be re-united with a star he as soon as labelled one in all Europe’s finest younger gamers?
The response to Kieran Tierney’s Celtic return
After finishing his return to his boyhood membership final week, Tierney stated it “feels wonderful” to be again, including “my ambition is only for Celtic to be as profitable as potential”.
Rodgers too exclaimed that he is “delighted” so as to add a “proficient and high-quality” participant to his squad, whereas Tierney is definitely a followers’ favorite in Glasgow’s East Finish, having come by the academy to make 170 appearances for the membership throughout his first spell, successful 11 main trophies.
So, whereas there may be main pleasure about seeing the left-back bedecked in inexperienced and white hoops as soon as once more, may an excellent larger expertise even be again later this summer time?
Celtic’s seek for a brand new striker
Tierney’s return to Parkhead this summer time has been met with glee, however when has a left-back ever been extra thrilling than a brand new striker? Arguably by no means.
The Scot has the potential to return again and be a roaring success down the left channels, carving out goalscoring alternatives at will for teammates, however who will likely be on the tip of his teasing balls into the field? Nicely, one other Celtic return might be on the playing cards and it is extra eye-catching than Tierney.
Certainly, as famous by Ryan McDonald of the Each day File, Celtic may re-sign striker Odsonne Édouard this summer time, with ex-Celtic midfielder Scott Allan believing the membership should not assume twice if they’re able to add a “incredible participant” to their ranks.
The striker initially arrived at Parkhead on mortgage from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, scoring on his debut in opposition to Hamilton Academical at New Douglas Park, earlier than his transfer was made everlasting the next summer time, costing a then-club-record £9m.
In complete, Édouard scored 87 objectives in 179 appearances for the Celts, numbers which can be comparable with the membership’s different nice centre-forwards of recent instances.
Chosen Celtic strikers (2010-present) |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Gamers |
Video games |
Targets |
Minutes per aim |
Kyōgo |
165 |
85 |
126 |
Giakoumakis |
57 |
26 |
97 |
Édouard |
179 |
87 |
140 |
Dembélé |
94 |
51 |
120 |
Griffiths |
262 |
123 |
118 |
Hooper |
138 |
82 |
136 |
The numbers above rubberstamp why he was extra thrilling than Tierney in inexperienced and white, with solely Leigh Griffiths having scored extra objectives for Celtic since Henrik Larsson’s departure in 2004, with the Scotland worldwide doing so in 83 extra appearances.
Édouard finally departed for Crystal Palace in August 2021, costing round £18.5m, scoring 21 instances for the Eagles, together with bagging a memorable double on his debut in opposition to Tottenham, however his profession has gone off the rails within the final 12 months or so.
Not in Oliver Glasner’s pre-season plans, the Frenchman joined Leicester Metropolis on a season-long mortgage final summer time, however this has to go down as probably the most disastrous mortgage spells of all time, now valued at simply £7m by Transfermarkt.
Odsonne Édouard Leicester Metropolis statistics |
|
---|---|
Statistics |
Édouard 24/25 |
Appearances |
6 |
Minutes |
113 |
Begins |
1 |
Matches an unused sub |
3 |
Matched not within the squad |
31 |
Whole matches |
40 |
Édouard was utterly frozen out by each Steve Cooper and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Leicester, most just lately a substitute on Boxing Day, his final look approaching 10 November, whereas his one and solely begin for the membership got here within the Carabao Cup at Walsall in September.
As outlined by John Percy of the Telegraph, having featured for each Palace and Leicester in 2024/25, FIFA laws stipulate that he was unable to signify a 3rd membership in the identical season.
Thus, Édouard remained stranded within the proverbial wilderness from January onwards, regardless of the very fact the Foxes broke all kinds of data when it got here to not scoring, most notably shedding eight successive Premier League house video games to nil, an unprecedentedly depressing run.
However, nonetheless 27 years previous, the striker actually nonetheless has loads to supply.
When Édouard signed completely for Celtic within the first place, Rodgers labelled him one in all European soccer’s “elite younger skills”. Whereas he might not nonetheless be too younger, he nonetheless has elite potential, significantly if it took him to Scotland once more.
Nonetheless trying to find a Kyōgo Furuhashi replacement, if the Frenchman turns into out there at a cut-price, this could absolutely be a no brainer.

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