Few in Glasgow had heard of Luka Djordjevic when the reports broke that Celtic were considering offering a trial to the Zenit St Petersburg striker.
Celtic supporters were not exactly rushing to the nearest club store to get Djordjevic printed on the back of their shiny new home kit when the Montenegrin striker was linked with a move to Parkhead this summer.
After all, Luka Djordjevic is hardly a household name and even his Wikipedia page doesn’t betray too much info about a striker who wanted to leave Zenit St Petersburg in search of more regular game-time. Though the Daily Record reported that Celtic were considering handing the 23-year-old a chance to prove his worth in Scotland via a short trial period.
A four-time Montenegrin international, Djordjevic’s track record didn’t exactly have Celtic supporters quaking at the knees in excitement. The striker scored just once in 18 appearances for Zenit while also failing to find the back of the net during loan spells in Italy and Holland with Sampdoria and FC Twente respectively.
The early signs, however, are that Djordjevic has finally found the right environment to flourish. He moved to Russian Premier League minnows Arsenal Tula in the summer and, after a slow start, is starting to show the sort of form that reportedly piqued Celtic’s interest.
Djordjevic has now scored four goals in his last six league games, including two against an FC Rostov side who beat Bayern Munich (below) and ran Manchester United close in Europe last season.
Time will tell, meanwhile, if Djordjevic can do enough to convince Zenit to hand him a more regular role in their squad in the near future. Or, indeed, whether Celtic should have done more to bring him to Parkhead.
The fact that he has tripled his entire career’s league tally in the space of six games suggests that Djordjevic may be a name to keep an eye on.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
