Celtic can land Rodgers’ next Vardy with move for 6ft 1 gem who’s “on absolute flames” – opinion
Celtic can land Rodgers’ next Vardy with move for 6ft 1 gem who’s “on absolute flames” – opinion
There’s no denying it: Scottish champions Celtic haven’t gotten
the most out of top player Kyogo Furuhashi this season,
with the Japanese marksman appearing to struggle since
the departure of former manager Ange Postecoglou in the summer.
After scoring 54 goals in 83 games under the man who brought him to Glasgow for £4.6 million in 2021,
the 29-year-old has subsequently scored ‘only’ 11 times in 30 outings since Brendan Rodgers took over.
While not a bad result, eight Premiership goals is a long cry from
the former Vissel Kobe man’s 27 league goals last season,
and he has now scored just twice in his previous nine top-flight appearances for the Old Firm giants.
| Kyogo’s 2023/24 Premiership season in numbers |
|---|
|
22 games (19 starts) |
|
12 ‘big chances’ missed |
|
8 goals |
|
3 assists |
|
5 ‘big chances’ created |
|
16.7 touches per game |
|
69% pass accuracy rate |
|
38% total duels won |
With Rodgers saying last month that he hasn’t asked the small marksman
any different questions than Postecoglou had previously,
it’s unclear why the £19k-per-week speedster isn’t firing on all cylinders right now.
Those concerns have been exacerbated by the lack of depth in the attacking department following
Oh Hyeon-gyu’s departure to represent his country in the Asian Cup,
with the South Korean star the only other senior centre-forward option in the Hoops’ squad after Kyogo.
As a result, finding a new number nine has become a top priority before the end of the transfer window,
with one intriguing player appearing to have caught the attention of those at Parkhead.
Celtic hope to sign the next Jamie Vardy
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Glasgow club is now “focussing efforts”
on recruiting a new left-back and striker with only a week left in the window,
having previously signed Nicolas Kuhn from Rapid Vienna for £3 million.
One prospective attacking target the club may be interested in is Bristol City’s Tommy Conway,
according to a report from Football Insider last week,
who named Celtic as one of the suitors ‘following’ the England-born Scotland U21 international.
The 21-year-old, who is also on Rangers’ radar, has only 18 months left on his present contract at Ashton Gate,
implying that the Robins may be obliged to cash in soon, rather than allowing his transfer value to dwindle.
If the 6-foot-1 striker receives a late approach from the league leaders,
he may become Rodgers’ next Jamie Vardy,
having previously been compared to the Leicester City star by former Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson.
How Tommy Conway Compares to Jamie Vardy
As Conway himself revealed, he is a striker who prefers to “go in behind” and stretch opposing defences,
which may be why Pearson “compares” the youngster to Vardy, in addition to his goal-scoring ability.
That is an intriguing contrast, and one that would have piqued Rodgers’ interest,
as the Northern Irishman had a good relationship with Vardy during his time in charge of Leicester,
having ended his first spell with Celtic to join them in 2019.
In 157 games under the former Liverpool manager,
the seasoned striker scored a remarkable 70 goals and provided 30 assists,
with the Midlands side going on to win their first FA Cup in 2021.
Vardy thrived as the primary man in attack at the King Power Stadium,
a player who clearly fit in well with Rodgers’ style of play -,
with the current Celtic manager praising him as a “icon” – and may be able to do the same at Celtic Park.
According to analyst Frank McAvennie, there were expectations that Kyogo could be a
“younger, faster” version of Vardy for Rodgers to work with,
but given the 5 foot 7 dynamo’s recent struggles, Conway may threaten his spot in the side if a deal is reached.
As Sky Sports analyst Lee Hendrie remarked in 2022,
the Taunton-born hotshot has been “on absolute flames” in the Championship recently,
so it’s no surprise that he’s attracting interest from a slew of top clubs.
Tommy Conway’s Season in Numbers
Despite being hampered by injuries at points this season,
Conway has managed eight goals in 23 games across all competitions, including six in 21 Championship matches.
The Bristol academy graduate has notably caught the eye this month as a result of his performances in the FA Cup,
where he scored two goals in as many games against Premier League highflyers
West Ham United to advance his club to the Fourth Round of the competition.
The former Bath City loanee helped sent the tie to a replay by scoring
a magnificent equaliser at the London Stadium,
sprinting in behind the Hammers’ defence and shooting home in a way Vardy would no doubt be proud of.
That was followed by what proved to be the key goal in the Championship side’s 1-0 victory at home,
with Conway capitalising on the visitors’ defensive error before passing into an empty net from the angle.
Former Leicester City coach Craig Shakespeare described the Premier League winner as a “pest” due to his movement in the final third.
Rodgers will be well aware of how much of a ‘pest’ Vardy was in his prime,
which is why signing his heir apparent to provide true competition to Kyogo at Parkhead was a wise decision.
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