“Brendan Rodgers keeps saying he wants quality and adding a player as capable as Kyogo in the striking department seems the
ideal scenario.
“We know all of this. We’ve been hearing it for weeks. But here’s the thing. Unless you are signing someone to take Kyogo’s place
in the starting side, how are you going to convince a proven player with quality to come to your club to sit on the bench and play
second fiddle?
“More pertinently, how much are you going to have to pay to get a guy who dislodges Kyogo?
“This is a dilemma facing Celtic right now. The fans are screaming for signings. The manager and his captain Callum McGregor
are screaming for signings. But I can imagine it’s a tricky sell. Or buy, if you prefer.”
Sutton, speaking to the
Daily Record, continued: “There are three types available at this stage of the season.
The first are the ones who are playing out of their skin. Everyone wants them and you better be shelling out the top dollar if you
want them.
“The second lot are the guys who aren’t getting games and want out to play. The first question you ask is with them is: Why aren’t
you playing? Why is your club letting you go? Aren’t you that good?
“Sure there are exceptions, but, mainly, the ones hunting escape routes are doing it because they aren’t good enough to get into
their own team. I give you Gustaf Lagerbielke, Marco Tillo, Yuki Kobayashi, et al.
“The third batch are the kids getting loaned out. Now you can get good ones. There are plum examples in recent Januarys for
Celtic. Let’s be honest, Reo Hatate was, at the time, a near project.
“He didn’t have a lot of game-time in his career, he wasn’t really known to fans here and available on a tiny fee in comparison to
his talent because no-one else was looking where Ange Postecoglou was looking.
“Postecoglou was ahead of the game. Hatate was, and is, brilliant. Matt O’Riley. No-one was really looking at him either
performing for MK Dons. Rodgers now needs to be ahead of the game in the same way and find this year’s versions of Hatate and
O’Riley and not, with respect, versions of Jeremy Toljan or Oli Burke.”
The former Hoops fans’ favourite added: “Striker is the big one. I don’t actually think Oh Hyeon-gyu is too bad and, in many ways
he’s ideal in the fact he’s young and accepts that playing second fiddle to Kyogo is his role in the squad.
“That’s fine with an Oh. But go up the grades to the proven hitman of genuine quality and how do you convince one to spend most
of his life on the bench?
“You look at Giorgos Giakoumakis. No matter how many goals he scored at Celtic, he wasn’t shifting Kyogo out of the side unless
the Japanese was either injured or being rested. Champions League? Cup Finals? Old Firm games? Kyogo started. End of.
Finding the solution is Rodgers’, Mark Lawwell’s, and the recruitment team’s responsibility. It becomes a difficult balancing act
unless you are willing to pay a high price to have someone take Kyogo’s position.
“And with a title on the line and no safety net for second in Glasgow, Celtic must tread carefully.”
A week from tomorrow, the holders will be back in action at Parkhead against Highland team Buckie Thistle in the highly
anticipated fourth round matchup.
A fortnight from now, Ross County will be the visitors in the Premiership.
There could be some fascinating comings and goings at the Hoops before that game.
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