Odsonne Edouard is in the departure lounge, Leigh Griffiths in limbo and Moi Elyounoussi back once again at parent club Southampton.
A whole lot of Celtic goals look to be on their way OUT as Ange Postecoglou jets IN.
Sorting out the sorry striker situation must feature prominently on the Australian gaffer’s bulging in-tray.
Over at Rangers, Steven Gerrard is spoilt for choice. There, 38-year-old Jermain Defoe finished the season with two superb
striker’s goals and started the summer by signing a new deal.
And Fashion Sakala was snapped up swiftly on a pre-contract to join title-winning front men Kemar Roofe, Alfredo Morelos and Cedric Itten.
That’s just one key area that highlights the sheer scale of the rebuilding task Postecoglou faces as he arrives to find Albian Ajeti and Vakoun Bayo the only strikers in place.
Former Celtic forward Gerry Creaney argues the gulf in that department is not as great as at it seems.
He is convinced Celtic’s backroom boys and recruitment aces have done all their homework and are just waiting on the big boss to arrive and pick the players from their list who can fire the Bhoys back to the top under a new regime.
Creaney also refuses to write off the turbulent Celtic career of Griffiths whom he reckons could save the club a fortune by recapturing top form.
Creaney said: “I don’t believe Celtic are that far off it or well behind Rangers.
“I genuinely believe Celtic will have been watching similar types for just as long as Rangers have.
“There will be a list of targets, with all the background information and detail, handed to the new manager by the recruitment department.
“It will then be about him determining the people who are the right fits for the club.
“I know for a fact Celtic will have names, wages, all the information needed on relevant targets just waiting for the manager to get a look.
“In the same way Rangers brought the right people in, you’re hoping Celtic do likewise to remount a challenge.
“An exciting part about him coming from a different part of the world is he may be able to unearth a gem or two we didn’t know about.”
One solution, however, could be right under his nose – or at least in a gym not far from Lennoxtown.
Griffiths posted a picture and message about the hard work he has undertaken to get fit for Postecoglou.
But the club have yet to decide whether to trigger a one-year option on his Celtic deal.
Creaney says Griffiths, 31 in August, should be craving the chance of a completely fresh start.
He’d love Postecoglou to give him an opportunity because he feels he’s got all the qualities to become Celtic’s top striker again if fitness and frame of mind are fine.
Creaney said: “I hope Leigh enjoys a breath of fresh air with the changes.
“Take his fantastic scoring record and contribution to the club as a great natural finisher over nearly seven years.
“Yes, he’s gone through tough times off the pitch. I hope he would find the spirit within himself to come out the other side and be the player he wants to be and we all know he can be.
“Fresh impetus, fresh manager, fresh ideas may help Leigh achieve what he wants.
“He has publicly come out to show he’s trying his best to be fit for the new manager.
“That tells you about his mindset. If Leigh is going to put it in, which I’m sure he will, and the new manager is going to accept that effort then that’s the resolution both should be looking for.
“Then, as a starter right away, you may have more time to get a secondary striker in who is acceptable to the manager.
“But I’ve no doubt Leigh has more than enough ability and character to go and lead Celtic’s line.
“He’s only 30 and, like anything else in life, with the experiences he’s gone through he’ll be brighter and stronger because of them. If he can be physically and mentally right then Celtic could save a few quid by not needing to go into the market as urgently as you might think.
“But that will come down to a meeting between the new manager and hisrelationship with Leigh.”
Edouard looks set for a Brendan Rodgers reunion at Leicester, with Celtic cashing in on their top scorer.
The Frenchman scored 55 Premiership goals in the last three seasons.
But Creaney insists life will go on quickly without the club-record signing and, possibly, very successfully given Celtic’s history of unearthing centre forward talent.
Creaney stressed: “There’s only one or two players in the whole world who are irreplaceable.
“Celtic have a fantastic reputation for pulling one out the bag from somewhere. No one heard much about Odsonne when he first came – and he lit up the Premiership.
“There was Moussa Dembele not long ago and you go way back to Mark Viduka, Pierre van Hooijdonk.
“They’ve had an ability to see those guys. The most famous of all, of course, was
Henrik Larsson at £600,000.
“Historically, that position has been filled by high-quality players. And I don’t think it devalues anything if you haven’t heard a great deal about them.
“The majority proved shrewd signings and that’s down to the hard work no one knows about – the scouting system in Parkhead.
“Hopefully Celtic attract someone of a similar ilk who’s going to get goals, contribute to the team and be a talisman in big games for progression in Europe and challenging Rangers again. Edouard is a very good player, a French Under-21 international with a high profile.
“You’d hope both his career and the club, financially, would benefit if it’s decided he’s going.”
Postecoglou’s coaching reputation has been built on achievements in Australia and Japan.
Creaney, now St Johnstone’s head of youth coaching, added: “I wish him all the best. It can’t be easy travelling abroad and settling into a different culture in a new country.
“Sometimes we expect too much from people who come from overseas and play a different style, a different pace of football.
“There’s changes at Celtic right down the spine of the club.
“From the very top all the way down. It’s a big rebuilding job.”
