Rangers and Celtic were linked with striker Uche Ikpeazu earlier this year.
Whilst both Celtic and Rangers were busy in the transfer market this summer, neither side really went into the market to sign new strikers.
Neil Lennon did land Jonathan Afolabi for Celtic’s development squad, but in his first team, he stuck with Odsonne Edouard, Leigh Griffiths and Vakoun Issouf Bayo as his centre forwards.
At Rangers, Steven Gerrard mostly focused on signing new wingers whilst letting the likes of Kyle Lafferty, Ryan Hardie, Andrew Dallas, Eduardo Herrera, Joe Dodoo and Zak Rudden to leave, choosing to go with Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe up top with playmaker Greg Stewart able to play as a makeshift striker.
Both teams were linked with strikers though, and one player was actually linked with both Old Firm sides; Hearts striker Uche Ikpeazu. The Scottish Sun claimed back in April that Celtic and Rangers wanted the target man, with a £1million asking price on him.
Ikpeazu, 24, showed some promise as a battering ram forward last season, scoring eight goals in his first campaign with Hearts having signed from Cambridge United on a free transfer.
Celtic and Rangers may well have wanted to see him in Scottish football a little longer before making a move, but his start to the season may not have left them too impressed.
Powerful frontman Ikpeazu has started just five games for Hearts this season, making three substitute appearances and being left as an unused substitute twice, in a real patchy opening to the campaign.
Ikpeazu finally scored his first goal of the season in his eighth game with a close-range finish against Motherwell on Saturday, but one goal in nearly 500 minutes of action may not impress the Old Firm dup.
He of course has time to really hit top form before the January transfer window, but he’ll need to get back on track if he’s to receive that interest from Celtic and Rangers once again in 2020.
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