With the title race grabbing all of Celtic’s attention at the moment, planning for next season will also be gnawing away at Brendan Rodgers.
What the Celtic manager has learned over the past year or so is that the recruitment at the club has not been good enough and that there are many areas of the team that require strengthening in the summer.
With Joe Hart retiring at the end of the season the goalkeeping position takes precedence as an area that needs to be addressed.
But with obvious weaknesses in defence and the first team’s strength in depth lacking up front and in midfield, Brendan Rodgers has a lot of work to do to get his team ready for, hopefully, the Champions League group stages.
But it seems that John Hartson has the answer to at least one of Celtic’s summer recruitment problems.
Hartson urges Celtic to buy Adam Idam
The former Celtic hero has been a huge admirer of Adam Idah since he started banging in the goals after his January loan move from Norwich.
With seven goals to his name, the Republic of Ireland international has hit the back of the net in huge games against Hibs, Motherwell and Rangers this season.
And Hartson believes that Celtic must sign him even it takes £5m to do so.
Hartson said [The Scottish Sun], “Strikers are hard to find. The fee to get him now will have shot up because he’s been a success at the club.
“He’s scored big, important goals for Celtic this season.
“When he first came in you got the feeling some of the fans were a bit underwhelmed.
“They looked at him playing for Norwich, maybe not getting a game every week, and it was a loan signing.
“But he has done well. He’s big and powerful, he can run in behind and he knows how to finish.
“If Celtic can get him for around the £4m-£5m mark, it would be a great bit of business. He could be a great signing.
“It can be a gamble with new signings, but Celtic will know what they are going to get.
“They know he can make an impact in games, they know he can score big goals and handle the pressure.
“It’s a decision for Brendan Rodgers but I have been impressed with him.”
Idah has certainly shown that he has what it takes to play for Celtic. Coming to the club at such a high-pressure time in the season and stepping up like he did against Hibs in his debut takes a lot of courage.
Sure, he’s not quite the finished article but at just 23, Idah has the best years ahead of him and still hasplenty of developing to do.
