Pundit Darren Jackson believes that if Celtic sign another striker this summer, it could be the end of Vakoun Bayo at Parkhead.
Jackson was recently present as a guest on the latest episode of PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show and the panel talked about many issues in Scottish football. One thing that Jackson focused on was Celtic and what could happen if they sign a new striker this summer.
Celtic have been linked with a move for both Albian Ajeti and Peterborough United’s Ivan Toney. While a bid for Toney was rejected by the League One club, a move for Ajeti seems closer as it was reported that Celtic have agreed to sign him on a loan deal.
While talking about what bringing in another striker could mean for Celtic, Jackson said that it could mark the end of Bayo’s Parkhead stint.
He said: “[If] you’re bringing in another striker, I would think it would be the end of Bayo. Because [Patryk] Klimala has kicked on [in] pre-season, anyway. [Leigh] Griffiths is getting himself back in shape. We still don’t know if [Odsonne] Edouard is going to be here, I would think he will be here.
Will Bayo leave Celtic this summer?
Yes, he'll leave
No, he will stay
“You always say you look at the great teams down south, you look at the Man United team in ’99. They always needed four strikers. For the season they are going to have, they will hopefully do well in the Champions League, you do need four quality strikers.”
Jackson feels that Celtic would need four strikers in their current squad and getting another striker would mean that Bayo’s future might lie elsewhere. He doesn’t feel that Odsonne Edouard’s future will be impacted if the Hoops do sign one of Ajeti or Toney.
TIF Thoughts…
Bayo, who is valued at £473k, has been at Celtic since January 2019 when the Ivorian had arrived from Dunajska Streda. Since then, the striker has made only 17 appearances in all competitions for the Bhoys and has scored a couple of goals. He played only 206 minutes in the Premiership last season (as per Transfermarkt).
It shows that the striker isn’t a regular at Parkhead and at the age of 23, he might need consistent first-team football to develop into a better player. He isn’t quite getting that at Celtic and to continue his development, he might need to leave Celtic permanently or on a loan deal. And if Celtic sign another striker, Bayo’s future might indeed not lie at Parkhead as that would reduce the first-team chances that he gets.