Celtic could sign a 21-goal striker who’s even better than Claudio Braga

Celtic look set to be available in the market so as to add a brand new centre-forward to their squad when the summer season switch window formally opens for enterprise.

Because it stands, Kelechi Iheanacho, Tomas Cvancara, and Junior Adamu are all set to maneuver on from Parkhead on the finish of their respective everlasting and mortgage contracts.

That may go away the supervisor who replaces Martin O’Neill within the dugout with out a recognised, senior, quantity 9 choice to guide the road for the 2026/27 marketing campaign and past.

The Hoops have already been linked with a transfer for Hearts centre-forward Claudio Braga, as they’re reportedly plotting a summer season swoop for the Portuguese ahead.

Nonetheless, the Jam Tarts are at present on the right track to win the Scottish Premiership title and it stays to be seen whether or not or not he could be prepared to leap ship to hitch a rival staff.

Why Celtic ought to keep away from signing Claudio Braga

Even when Braga is prepared to signal for the Scottish giants, Celtic ought to keep away from a deal to carry the 26-year-old attacker to Parkhead as a result of it will not be the suitable match for what the Hoops want.

Hearts usually play a system with two centre-forwards, often Braga and Lawrence Shankland, and that fits the Portuguese whiz all the way down to a tee as a result of he’s a striker and quantity ten hybrid who doesn’t have the creativity of a quantity ten or the physicality of a striker.

The Jam Tarts star has offered a reasonably scientific contact in entrance of aim, with 12 objectives from 12.04 xG, however he has solely registered three assists in 31 appearances within the Premiership.

He has additionally misplaced possession 15.5 occasions per sport on common, finishing simply 71% of his tried passes, which exhibits that his basic play has not been at a excessive stage, because the attacker persistently items the ball again to the opposition.

Enjoying in a entrance two permits him to focus purely on entering into goalscoring positions taking part in off Shankland, moderately than being a hyperlink participant who can carry others into the sport, and that luxurious wouldn’t be afforded to him in Celtic’s ordinary 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 arrange.

The Hoops, due to this fact, ought to keep away from signing the Hearts centre-forward in the summertime switch window. As an alternative, they need to swoop for one more star from the Scottish top-flight.

The striker Celtic ought to signal as an alternative of Braga

While Braga doesn’t seem like the suitable match for what Celtic ought to be on the lookout for forward of the 2026/27 marketing campaign, there’s one other reported goal who might match the invoice.

Final month, it was reported that the Scottish giants are eyeing up a swoop to signal Motherwell centre-forward Tawanda Maswanhise within the upcoming summer season switch window.

The Zimbabwe worldwide could be an exceptional addition to the Hoops squad as a result of he’s extra suited to taking part in as a lone quantity 9 and is significantly better than Braga.

Motherwell often deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation underneath Jens Berthel Askou and Maswanhise, who may also play out huge, has began because the lone centre-forward as a rule, which exhibits that he can play as the principle man up entrance, not like Braga.

The previous Leicester Metropolis academy starlet has been on fireplace for the ‘Effectively as their main quantity 9, scoring 21 objectives in 37 appearances in all competitions to this point this season.

16 of these 21 objectives got here within the Scottish Premiership, making him the highest goalscorer within the division, and that signifies that he has scored 4 extra objectives than the Hearts star.

Maswanhise can also be much more dependable for his aspect on the whole play, dropping possession roughly six fewer occasions per match on common, to associate with his superior goalscoring abilities.

The Motherwell sensation could be a terrific choice for Celtic to go for to resolve their centre-forward scenario as a result of he’s a confirmed Premiership performer, has proven that he can play as a lone striker, is dependable with the ball at his toes, and he’s a scientific finisher.

Maswanhise has all the pieces that the Hoops ought to be on the lookout for in a brand new centre-forward, not like Braga, and that’s the reason they need to abandon their pursuit of the Hearts attacker so as to transfer for the Zimbabwe worldwide.