On Wednesday night, Celtic and Rangers will go head-to-head at Parkhead in perhaps the most important, most hotly-anticipated Old Firm derby since the reigning Premiership champions returned to the top-flight in 2016.
But it’s telling that, if Ange Postecoglou and Giovanni van Bronckhorst had a full slate of players to choose from, then a pair of strikers who cost the Glasgow giants a combined £8 million would be nowhere to be seen during the midweek title-decider.
Of course, that may still apply to Albian Ajeti.
The former West Ham misfit hasn’t featured since limping out of a Europa League group-stage clash with FC Basel before Christmas. Even if he was fit to play, Postecoglou would likely turn to one of the other options at his disposal. Someone better suited to his free-flowing, high-pressing blueprint.
Van Bronckhorst, however, may have no choice but to persist with an ill-fitting number nine of his own.
In Alfredo Morelos’ absence, Cedric Itten has been handed the opportunity to jump-start his spluttering Rangers career.
But if Van Bronckhorst was hoping that the Switzerland international could be given a fresh coat of paint and a new set of tyres, Itten instead continues to perform like a man heading for the scrapheap, blowing fumes and trundling along with all the agility of a battered old Citroen Berlingo.
Itten, farmed out on loan to Greuther Furth last summer, is behind Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala in Rangers’ pecking order.
You could argue that Ajeti, too, is fourth choice these days. Behind Kyogo Furuhashi, Giorgios Giakoumakis and January signing Daizen Maeda.
If an offer had arrived for either Itten or Ajeti in January, it’s unlikely that Rangers or Celtic would have stood in their way.
Who knows, an offer may still arrive. According to Blick, FC Basel are keen on both players. Itten and Ajeti have had spells at St Jakobs’ Park in the past. And, what’s more, the Swiss transfer window does not close until February 15th.
Are Cedric Itten and Albian Ajeti stuck in Scotland?
On Monday, Basel owner David Degen admitted that he plans to sign two new strikers over the next fortnight. Degen is under pressure to find a replacement for Arthur Cabral, the 27-goal top-scorer who joined Fiorentina.
“We have very high requirements,” Degen admits. “The question is whether there is a short-term solution (on loan until the summer) or something long-term (a permanent transfer). Many parameters have to be right.”
Win the derby, win the league?
Unfortunately for Degen, neither Itten or Ajeti appear to be in that ‘Goldilocks Zone’ Basel are hoping to find. Itten has already represented two clubs this season – Rangers and Furth. Players cannot represent three different clubs in a single campaign.
Ajeti, then, is more attainable. Well, in theory. Ajeti, too, presents his own set of problems. According to Blick, the finances involved in taking him from Celtic may be beyond Basel’s reach.
Out of favour, ill-equipped to cope with their manager’s demands and now at the bottom of the pecking order. It’s unlikely that either Ajeti or Itten saw this coming when they moved to Glasgow for seven-figure sums.
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