The circus surrounding Celtic’s transfer business will now have to be put to one side, ahead of the return of domestic action this weekend.
The fallout of what went on this summer continues, however, with it yet to be seen just how Brendan Rodgers’ side will be impacted by their lack of adequate investment, particularly in the centre-forward ranks.
At present, the Northern Irishman has been left with a pool of strikers that all have question marks around them, in the form of Shin Yamada, Johnny Kenny, Callum Osmand and late arrival, Kelechi Iheanacho.
The experienced Nigerian – who has been snapped up from Sevilla on a free transfer – scored just four times for the LaLiga side and for Middlesbrough last term, albeit while having previously flourished under Rodgers at Leicester City.
With the Hoops boss now pondering how to get the best out of the 28-year-old again, attention turns to the man he has replaced, Adam Idah, with the Republic of Ireland international departing for Swansea City following a mixed time at Parkhead.
How Idah compares to recent Celtic strikers
It is difficult to know quite what to make of Idah’s spell in Glasgow, with the 24-year-old enjoying notable highs, albeit while failing to truly deliver on a consistent basis.
Nine goals during just 19 games of his initial loan spell makes for good reading, as does his return of 20 goals in all competitions last term, despite having started just 26 games, as per Transfermarkt.
In his own words, the former Norwich City man felt that such an impact went “a bit unnoticed”, albeit with it hard to argue against his disappointing overall record of just 29 goals in 76 games in total in green and white.
Considering his £9m price tag, the man who previously scored just 17 senior goals at Carrow Road certainly underdelivered, having failed to hit the heights of those who came before him in recent times.
Of course, former teammate Kyogo Furuhashi is the gold standard when it comes to modern Celtic strikers, although even the likes of Georgios Giakoumakis fared far better, having almost matched Idah’s tally from 19 fewer games.
Kyogo
85
165
Giakoumakis
57
26
Dembele
94
51
Edouard
179
87
Idah
76
29
Oh
47
12
Odsonne Edouard – signed from PSG for a similar fee of £9m – also enjoyed a far more fruitful spell in Scotland, as did his predecessor Moussa Dembele, with the French duo playing a starring role as the club’s attacking figurehead.
Despite his £9m price tag and number nine shirt, Idah, by contrast, never truly earned such lofty status. A swift exit has now been secured, with it yet to be seen if history will repeat itself in the case of a certain Arne Engels.
The Celtic star in danger of being the next Adam Idah
The burden of a significant price tag can weigh heavy, as the case of Idah shows, with Celtic perhaps somewhat fortunate to have recouped a fair chunk of their initial investment, amid the Irishman’s £7m deadline day departure.
Time will tell whether the club will go on to cash in on young Engels for a far more handsome fee later down the line, with the £11m signing enduring his own turbulent time of things at Celtic Park thus far.
As Rodgers has been at pains to stress on numerous occasions, at 22, the promising Belgian is “nowhere near the finished article”, with there perhaps a need to look beyond the eye-catching nature of that transfer fee.
He is a player of “potential” according to his manager – having also been described as “so underrated” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – with time needing to be given for the midfielder to properly bed in at Celtic, considering his relative youth.
That being said, as was the case with Idah, that £11m figure will hang like an albatross around his neck if he continues to underwhelm, with the youngster having also dipped in and out of the side over the last 12 months or so.
Indeed, the early weeks of the new season have seen Engels start just three of a possible seven games, including a disappointing outing against Rangers, having notably been introduced off the bench for both legs of the shock defeat to Kairat Almaty in Champions League qualifying.
A return of 24 goals and assists in 59 games in all competitions to date is certainly reason for optimism, although the former FC Augsburg man is yet to truly stamp his authority on this Celtic side, having notably been usurped by summer signing Benjamin Nygren in the midfield pecking order.
With a swift departure having actually been touted over the summer, it already looks like the four-cap international could head the same way as Idah in the near future, should his standing not improve under Rodgers.
That night in Munich has highlighted what he can produce when at his best, with time still on his side to prove a success in a Celtic.
That said, if he’s not careful, Engels could well prove to be the club’s next Idah as another expensive gamble that has gone awry.
