Another striker target confirmed elsewhere – and the questions about our summer recruitment are only getting louder.
Bristol City have completed the signing of Lorent Tolaj, the Plymouth Argyle striker Celtic were linked with earlier this year, in a deal worth a minimum of £4 million, as reported by 67 Hail Hail. The Robins confirmed the transfer on Monday, with Sky Sports reporting the fee structure. Celtic’s interest had first been reported in January, but the club never moved to secure him.
Tolaj finished last season as Plymouth’s top scorer with 22 goals in all competitions – a return that drew interest from a host of clubs this summer. Plymouth had originally resisted selling in the hope that his goals would fire them to a Championship promotion, but when that didn’t materialise, a sale this summer was inevitable. They had paid £1.2 million to bring him to Home Park, meaning Bristol City’s minimum £4 million outlay is higher than the £1.2 million Plymouth originally paid for him.
The Swiss striker’s career path is well-travelled. He moved to Brighton from FC Sion as a teenager and has mostly spent his career in the EFL, with loan spells at Cambridge United, Salford City, and Aldershot Town. He also had a short stint at Dundee, where he struggled to make an impression in the Championship. His Plymouth form came after a period of struggling to make an impact at Dundee – which makes the timing of Celtic’s failure to act all the more frustrating.
WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US?
Let’s be honest – this is becoming a familiar story. Celtic have struggled to land their top striker targets this summer, and Tolaj going to Bristol City means another striker move has gone elsewhere. The loss of Kelechi Iheanacho to Bursaspor, announced over the weekend, compounds matters significantly. Martin O’Neill said the option ran out – but that’s cold comfort when the squad still needs genuine attacking reinforcement.
Camilo Duran remains Celtic’s only attacking addition of the summer, , one signing does not paper over the gaps that need filling before the serious football begins. Names like Kasper Hogh and Tobias Lauritsen continue to circulate,
Tolaj’s modest Scottish record at Dundee might have given our recruitment team pause, and But 22 goals in a season is 22 goals – and right now, we need proven finishers, not further deliberation. The window is moving faster than we are.
Mon The Hoops.
